ECO-TOURISM

ECO-TOURISM

"Eco-tourism" is a term so often used in Costa Rica its meaning has become elusive. It is intended to mean "ecological" tourism or "nature-oriented" tourism. However, since it has turned into a phrase used to promote any kind of tourism, one should be critical of how and by whom it is used. The activities in this packet have been designed to give the student insights into the complicated issues surrounding eco-tourism.

Activity 1: Defining Eco-Tourism Activity 2: The (Ir)Responsible Tourist Activity 3: A Snapshot of Costa Rica=s Biodiversity Activity 4: Voting with Your Feet: The Effects of Tourism Activity 5: Your Favorite Place Activity 6: Eco-development in Costa Rica: A Town Meeting Simulation

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OVERVIEW
Costa Rica, a natural destination Since the 1980s, Costa Rica's national tourist board, the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT), has been promoting eco-tourism. Because Costa Rica could not compete with the beautiful beaches of the Caribbean or Mexico, the ICT decided to concentrate on Costa Rica as a natural destination--a wise choice, as approximately 25% of Costa Rican forests are preserved in some way (approximately 12% in national parks and reserves). Despite this protection, the country continues to be deforested at an alarming rate. (See Activity 1 in Environmental Studies in Costa Rica.) Seasonal tourism Another consideration of the ICT is that tourism in Costa Rica is seasonal. The high season for tourism includes the months of December, January, February, and March. Because of higher rainfall, the months of lowest tourism levels tend to be May, June, September, and October. The growth of tourism From 1988-1991, tourism grew very rapidly in Costa Rica, with a 19% increase each year. In 1995, 800,000 tourists were expected, and by 1998--1,358,000. Some say, however, that the Costa Rican "eco-tourism boom" is declining. The number of people indicating they came to Costa Rica for bird watching and natural history was highest in 1993. In 1995, more tourists said they came for sun and beach recreation, rather than ecotourist activities. This trend may continue as several new, large beach and golf tourist complexes on the Pacific are planned and approved by the government, including the 20,000 room Papagayo project. Tourism on the Osa Peninsula On the Osa Peninsula, where the eco-tourism simulation activity from this packet takes place, tourism is on a much smaller scale. From 1990 to 1994, tourism grew from 4,390 to 19,164 people visiting the area. Statistically, this is a 400% increase. As the infrastructure of electricity and better roads develops in the Osa, so will tourism. Whether the tourism will be "sustainable" (providing for future generations) remains to be seen.

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Foreigners reap the monetary benefits of tourism The World Bank estimates that 55% of the gross tourism income in underdeveloped countries goes to the developed countries. The exact figure of tourism income leaving Costa Rica is unknown; however it is assumed that because of the large number of foreign businesses in country and purchases of imported goods, the benefits of tourism to Costa Ricans are diminished. The ICT is now promoting projects in which Costa Ricans themselves gain the economic benefits of tourism. One way to work toward this idea is to promote small scale, eco-friendly and sustainable lodge designs for tourists. Guidelines and sustainable tourism ratings and ethics for lodges are mentioned in the New Key to Costa Rica guide by Beatrice Blake and Ann Becker. Foreign tourists pay for services received With the recent increase in national park entrance fees for foreigners, tourists now contribute to the maintenance and preservation of reserves. Up until 1994, it cost only $1.50 per person per day to visit the national parks. In 1995 the rates were raised to about $10 per day for foreigners. This fee increase relieves the Costa Rican governments responsibility to fund the parks. Some of this money is used to improve interpretive programs at the parks and reserves. Often tourists are uninformed when taking nature hikes. Tourists who participate in educational programs, such as slide shows and natural history walks, provided by the parks and private reserves or lodges are more likely to donate additional money for reserve maintenance, environmental education, and training programs for local guides. Tourism affects communities Another area of consideration within the issue of eco-tourism is the effects the presence of tourists have upon a local community. Often locals are concerned that their family values and way of life will be changed by the influence of tourists. With women working outside their homes, employed by the hotel/restaurant industry, family life changes. Social problems (delinquency, drug use, and prostitution) and crime have increased in some areas.

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Activity 1: Eco-tourism

DEFINING ECO-TOURISM
Subject: Language Arts, Spanish and World Languages, Social Studies Grade level: 6-9 Group size: small/large group Methods: discussion, cooperative groups Skills: identification, listening skills, critical thinking, cooperative decision making, problem-solving, sequencing Duration: 1 class period

Purpose: Students will identify the activities that define the concept of eco-tourism, and the impact of these activities on the local communities. Objectives: Students will: 1. Compare and contrast tourist activities. 2. Create a working definition of eco-tourism. Materials: Colored paper (6-7 colors) Pens Activity Groups list Procedure: 1. Write the term eco-tourism on the board to provoke interest and give direction to this lesson. Students should be advised that this is an activity related to the environment. They will be creating a definition of eco-tourism during the activity. 2. Inform the class that each student will assume the role of a tourist on vacation, and receive a colored card with an activity on it. (See activity groups for card preparation.) There will be 6-7 different card colors (dependent on class size) to help students identify and come together with a group. There will be four students in each group, and upon coming together, each group should sit in a circle and create a written list of 4-5 things that their activities have in common. After approximately five minutes, each group will present these similarities to the class. Example: These are all water sports, they are all outdoor activities, they appeal to teenagers, etc.

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3. Pass out the colored activity cards that are well mixed, one to each student. Students should find their group and start working. 4. Monitor student groups during the five minutes. 5. Instruct the groups to stand, one group at a time. Each individual group member will hold his/her activity card to be clearly visible to the class. One group member will read the list of similarities out loud to the class. 6. Choose three students to come forward in front of the class with their cards. Pose this question to the class: Which of these three activities is the most environmentally sound and/or has the most positive impact on the community? The students will literally be sequencing each other in a human number line. The left side of the room can represent the least environmentally sound, and the right side can represent the most environmentally sound. 7. Students should continue to discuss who should go where in line by activity. Once the first three have been sequenced, the teacher can then choose another student to come forward and be sequenced. This process can be repeated until one-third or one-half of the class is sequenced, but the teacher need not go through the entire class. When you are relatively comfortable that the students have a sense of what differentiates an environmentally-sound activity from one that is not, stop the activity. Closure: Given the preceding activities and a gradual realization of how vacation-related pastimes can be related to the environment, the students can then work as a class to create a working definition of the phrase eco-tourism. Write this definition next to the term on the board.

Activity Group Instructions

Card Size: Each activity will be written on a separate sheet of paper. Full 8 1/2 x 11 sheets work well, but may also be divided into half. The written activity should be large enough for a student to read from 15-20 feet away. Color: Each of the seven groups listed on the next page should be assigned a different color. Each activity card within that group should reflect the like color. Students will find their group by color.

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Activity Groups
I. a. b. c. d. Just Add Water White-water rafting Waterskiing Ice-skating at an indoor rink Snorkeling VI. Equipment Required a. Horseback riding b. Golfing c. Playing tennis at hotel courts d. Mountain biking VII. Natural Wonders a. Hiking cloud forest trails at a private reserve b. Night walk at Arenal Volcano c. Hiring a local guide for a rainforest hike d. Visiting Corcovado National Park

II. Spending Our Money a. Visiting a shopping mall in San Jos b. Eating at Taco Bell c. Buying herbal teas at a women=s co-op d. Visiting a local artisans market III. Fun in the Sun a. Suntanning at hotel beach b. Suntanning at a beach in a national park c. Turtle-nesting tour on beach at night d. Swimming at hotel pool IV. Those Crazy Animals a. Visiting the San Jos Zoo b. Bird-watching in the Dry Forest c. Bat netting at dusk to study various bat species d. Attending a snake-milking demonstration at a snake museum V. Back to Nature a. Attending a lecture on deforestation b. Banana plantation visit c. Going on a coffee tour d. Visiting an agroforestry project

*These activities may be added for larger classes, by Roman numeral. I. Surfing in the Atlantic Ocean II. Buying t-shirts at a locally owned souvenir shop III. Collecting and identifying seashells on the beach IV. Feeding a wild iguana at a picnic area V. Visiting a farming plot that grows alternative crops VI. Four-wheel driving on country roads VII. Hiking to hot springs and natural boiling mudpots

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Activity 2: Eco-tourism

THE (IR)RESPONSIBLE TOURIST

Subject: Language Arts, Social Studies, Spanish and World Languages Grade level: 6-9 Group size: small/large group Methods: pre-rehearsed skit/role play, discussion, cooperative groups, performance Skills: listening, interpreting, critical thinking, formulating an original song, presentation Duration: 1 class period

Purpose: Students will be made aware of the marked difference between responsible and irresponsible tourism, stressing the value of environmentally-sound tourism. Objectives: Students will: 1. Identify the qualities that distinguish a responsible from an irresponsible tourist. 2. Create a song/rap set to a given tune that reflects the do=s and don=t=s of a conscientious eco-tourist. 3. Perform their song/rap for the benefit of the entire class. Materials: Skit: The (Ir)responsible Tourist Procedure: 1. The skit should be given to two students (of the teachers choice) the day prior to this activity. These two students will become familiar with their roles, anticipate enthusiasm, gestures, props needed, voice inflections, etc. 2. At the beginning of the class period, these two students present the skit to the class. They may move across the room or remain stationary. The remaining students should listen carefully for the positive and negative tourist attitudes. 3. After the skit, lead a short discussion about reactions to the two distinct roles. Draw a T-chart on the board--one side for eco-tourism dos and the other for donts. Fill in the chart with student ideas.

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4. Using the T-chart of dos and donts, instruct the students that they will: a. Be divided into groups of 4-5 (dependent on class size). b. Create an original song or rap reflecting the qualities of an (ir)responsible tourist. c. Have 10-15 minutes to write their song. d. Perform this song to the class after this allotted time. (Provide students with a familiar song tune such as: Brady Bunch theme, Row, Row, Row Your Boat, Gilligans Island, You Are My Sunshine, Take Me Out to the Ballgame, Yankee Doodle Dandy, etc. Should the students decide to do a rap, this could be to a familiar tune or an original one that they create.) 5. Students will perform their song or rap, one group at a time, in front of the class. Closure: 1. This activity may work especially well with some type of reward (however small) to prompt student motivation and involvement. Decide on a 1st place award for the group that demonstrates the most creativity in content, enthusiasm, cooperation, etc. A 2nd and 3rd place may also be given. 2. Close with a short reflection of the qualities of an ir/ responsible tourist as presented in the songs. Relate this to how each student can employ the positive qualities whenever he/she may be a tourist. Extensions: 1. While a T-chart can be made for eco-tourism dos and donts, there is a gradation within the donts whereby some activities are more or less harmful to the environment than others. A supplementary activity can be added to extend this understanding. Next to the T-chart of eco-tourism donts, create a rating continuum--ranging from and labeled as Most harmful to the environment on the left to Least Harmful to the environment on the right. The midpoint on the line will be labeled as It depends or Unsure. Ask students to place the donts on the continuum. (Prior to this, the teacher may choose to have each student rate the donts on his/her individual paper.) A discussion can follow, reflecting the idea that while all of these listed activities have a negative impact on the environment, some are clearly more detrimental and should be avoided above all else.

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Skit: The (Ir)responsible Tourist

Abby: Im so glad our class decided to come to Costa Rica to study the environment! This rainforest is really neat!! Billy: Yeah, its pretty cool. Abby: Im just thinking that we probably should have stayed with the guide and the others... Billy: Why? He didnt speak that much English, and I never paid enough attention in Spanish class to understand him. Besides, were the tourists--he should speak our language. Abby: But what if we get lost? Billy: Who cares? Come on, lets go see where this Do Not Enter area goes. Abby: Billy, what are you doing with that lighter? Billy: Its dark way in here; the trees are so thick that theres not much sunlight coming in. I figured a little light would be in order. Hey-- we could light a small fire and send up a smoke signal if we get really lost. (ha ha) Abby: Dont you know anything? This is the dry season here, and the signs said no fires of any kind! Billy: Oh, big deal, Abby. Who are you--Smokey the Bear? Abby: (Sarcastically) Very funny. A forest fire here would destroy not only the trees, but all of the animals and birds that count on the forest as their home. Billy: Yeah, yeah. (Loudly) Hey, LOOK! Abby: (Whispering) Billy, keep your voice down! The guide said to be quiet to respect the animals.

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Billy: Yeah, well, hes not here right now. But a monkey is! Look in that tree! See him? Abby: Neat! That must be the white-faced monkey that the guide was talking about. Billy: Who cares? Quick--do you have anything to feed him? Abby: Youre not supposed to feed them, Billy. They become too used to tourists, and it disrupts their natural habits. Billy: Heywouldnt he be neat to take home with us? So would this plant! Cool. Abby: The guide said not to really touch anything-- remember, were the visitors here. (Billy drops something.) (Leaning over to pick it up) Which is exactly why you shouldnt be littering! Billy: I just remembered-- I have my pocket knife along. We could carve our initials into this HUGE tree here. (Mushy sounding) That way, everyone could see that Billy loves Abby. Abby: Get real! This tree is at least a hundred years old. We dont have the right to do that! Billy: Im bored. Lets go back to the hotel. We can swim in the pool. The chemicals will wash off all this bug repellent Im wearing. Abby: Chemicals, pollution...Its all connected. Does our hotel even care? You know, I heard that our hotel was actually built by foreign investors who cut almost 100 acres of forest to clear the land. They didnt even stop to think how it would affect the environment or the local community! Billy: Yeah, but they have a neat gift shop. They have this big sculpture made of this rare wood called Cocobolo (co-co-BEAU-lo) that I want to buy. Abby: Cocobolo wood? Thats the tree that the guide pointed out to us as one of the most endangered in all of Costa Rica! Billy: So what? It was cool.

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Abby: Billy, Im starting to think that youre not cool. How would you like it if people came to our area and had such little respect? You need to start caring about the environment, and not just about yourself. We need to take steps to conserve and improve our environment, so that we dont lose it. (With determination) Right now, Im going to improve my environment, and lose you!

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Activity 3: Eco-tourism

A TOURISTS SNAPSHOT OF COSTA RICAS BIODIVERSITY

Subject: Social Studies, Language Arts, Science, Spanish (extensions) Grade level: 6-9 Group size: individual or pairs Methods: individual or pair map reading & matching of four biomes Skills: reading, map comprehension Duration: 20 minutes

Purpose: To understand that there are many types of tropical forests. Objective: Students will be able to correctly match four tourist descriptions of Costa Ricas life zones. Materials: Handout: A Tourists Snapshot of Costa Ricas Biodiversity Maps of Costa Ricas life zones (See Exploring the Geography of Costa Rica pp. xvixvii.) Large world map (helpful in introduction) Background: Students often use the term tropical rainforest as though it were the only type of forest found in the tropics. This lesson introduces them to tropical dry forests, coastal forests and mountain rainforests. This may be used as an out of class assignment or as reinforcement, especially if the other map activity has been used. Procedure: 1. Ask students in pairs to define the term tropical rainforest. Listen to definitions and extend with these questions: a. Are all rainforests in tropical areas? (No, a narrow strip of land along the U.S. northwest coast could be called a middle latitude rainforest. Its where the famous Redwood trees grow.) b. What makes an area a forest, but not necessarily a rainforest? (Determined by the amount of rain, not the temperature) c. What does the term tropical mean? (On a world map, identify the belt which is about 44 degrees of latitude wide which extends from about 22 degrees north to 22 degrees south latitude.) d. Do all tropical areas have forests? (No, some of that land is farmland or city now; some of it is so mountainous that no trees grow; some is savannah. Identify high elevations where bushes and stunted trees would grow. Remind students that it gets 41

colder in high elevations. Also, some tropical areas may have such poor soil that trees might not be able to grow.) e. Are all tropical forests the same? (No, the short readings on the worksheet will illustrate the differences.) 2. Distribute worksheets and maps; read directions. Closure: 1. Check papers for accuracy: Written Descriptions: 1 = D

2=A

3= B

4=C

2. Ask why the term tropical rainforest is sometimes inappropriate. Ask students to define the term tropical forest. Extensions: 1. (Spanish, Art, Language Arts) Draw/write postcards from each of these types of forest. 2. Design a complete brochure for the lodges or cabins described in A, B, C, and D. Things to include in the brochures include: location/map, activities, cost, information on why this lodge is ecology friendly.

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Name: _______________________

A Tourists Snapshot of Costa Ricas Biodiversity

Background: The term tropical forest can be used to describe 12 DIFFERENT life zones in Costa Rica. (Your state may only have one or two different life zones.) Each life zone includes unique plant and animal life. On the map, Costa Ricas twelve zones have been generalized into four forest types. Directions: Read the descriptions of the four areas and lodges. Then, using the map match the forest type to its location.

Lodge Match 1. wet tropical forest 2. dry tropical forest 3. coastal wet tropical forest 4. cloud forest mountain rainforest

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Lodge A
Kick off those tennis shoes and try on a pair of cowboy (vaquero) boots at the Hacienda Los Inocentes! As you horseback ride through the forests and pastures of this working ranch, look for toucans where forest meets the pasture. Look for monkeys moving in the tree tops in thick forest cover. In the area of Costa Rica longest settled by the Spanish, youll find our comfortable lodge. Built by the Inocentes family in the 1800s, we have worked to maintain the homes architectural integrity while still providing modern conveniences. Youll find the wide verandas decked with comfortable chairs perfect for viewing sunsets and the changing color and light surrounding the Orosi Volcano. Once fire was a common element during the dry season (January to April) when virtually no rain falls. Fire kept grasslands free of trees. The Spanish who settled here maintained that open-space feeling with cattle ranches which youll still see today. Near the end of the dry season, trees here turn a brilliant yellow and lose their leaves. With dry grasses, the area has a golden glow. Youll see all stages of succession on this private reserve: where grassland meets the savanna and the savanna meets the forest. The savanna is a mix of grassland and large, flat topped guanacaste trees, the symbol of our province, featured on our flag.

Lodge B
Take a quiet boat ride through Costa Ricas maze of inland waterways. Youll pass through miles of lush lowland forest in a small boat or canoe, emerging finally at the ocean. Study the storied canopy and youll see whole trees in bright flower, or monkeys bouncing from tree to tree. Explore estuaries, where the mixing of salt water and fresh water creates an environment favored by mussels, clams and crustaceans. This environmentally sensitive area produces life forms that form the base of the ocean food chain. At Sabinas Cabinas, youll fall asleep listening to the sound of the surf. Take a guided night hike to see giant sea turtles nest on sandy, uninhabited beaches. Or, you can don a pair of rubber boots and explore rare forests, where trees can survive with roots submerged in water. Learn about the tangled mangrove forests, which stand at the oceans edge. Scientists are just now learning about how mangrove trees can filter salt water. Mangroves are pioneer land builders too! With their roots, they catch soil which washes into rivers and protect themselves from tidal erosion. Its an unforgettable place, where youll be rewarded for your silence by the sight of a sloth. Youll come away understanding the reason machetes are sold in local hardware stores.

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Lodge C
Keep climbing and youll enter a realm of green stillness. Youll find an area bathed in abundant moisture which rises from both of Costa Ricas coasts. This moisture--over six feet of it yearly--feeds the farms and forests below. With this much moisture, youll see fluorescent fungi hard at work if you take a night hike. At 4,500 feet of elevation, youll find the air has cooled and hiking temperatures are comfortable. Take time to search the canopy for birds and monkeys, to observe the lush greenery and vines stretching tree to tree. Look inside a bromeliad, a plant with a cup at its top, designed to catch water, and youll see a small universe of insects. Look for the colorful quetzal, the national symbol of Costa Rica. Stay at El Bosque, which means the forest in Spanish. Youll be within walking distance of the Monteverde Reserve and the Childrens Rainforest, land purchased by donations from school age children worldwide. Be sure to bring a sweater and rainwear for your climb into the elven forest. Here, dwarfed trees are buffeted by high winds near the continental divide. Our knowledgeable trail guides will tell you about the diverse life forms and interrelationships between plants and animals.

Lodge D
Step into the green cathedral for a lifetime of inspiration. Youll find towering trees which support themselves with thick buttresses, unique wide bases, as they search for nutrients from the forest floor. Walk along the trails of our private reserve, but stop frequently to listen and look. Give birds and beasts time to become accustomed to your presence. Give your eyes time to adjust to an endless green profusion. Life seems to take its most extravagant size and shape: giant trees like the ceiba, ferns taller than you, leaves as large as umbrellas, huge neon blue butterflies called morphos, and toads you would need two open hands to hold. This is the region of greatest biodiversity in Costa Rica. La Selva, the name of our lodge, means the jungle in Spanish. Its a struggle for plant species living here, who fight for light. Walking fig trees actually move, constantly adjusting their position to get more light. A tree called the strangler fig uses a host tree for support and eventually claims the life of that host. Located along the Sarapiqui River, you might see otters playing outside the screened-in dining room, which overlooks the river or you might decide to sign up for a white-water rafting excursion. Our cabin walls are really screened windows. Our goal is to bring the sounds of nature inside while insuring a comfortable nights rest.

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Activity 4: Eco-tourism

VOTING WITH YOUR FEET: THE EFFECTS OF TOURISM IN COSTA RICA

Subject: Social Studies, Language Arts, Math (see extensions) Grade level: 6-9 Group size: whole group Methods: individual worksheet, discussion Skills: discussion, analysis, classification, evaluation Duration: 1 class period

Purpose: To understand that promoting tourism has complex consequences. Objective: Students will be able to explain positive and negative effects of tourism. Materials: Handout: What Do You Think? (one per student) Pencil, calculator (for math extension) Teacher Notes: What Do You Think? Rubric/Guidelines for Presentations Background: Many economies have shifted from industrial to service-based economies. Tourism is an example of one service industry which has been promoted in developing nations. Procedures: 1. Ask students where they have traveled and what the area was like, or use the activity The Ir-Responsible Tourist. Ask if they think tourism is good for the people, environment, and the economy. 2. Distribute the worksheet What Do You Think? and ask students to respond to the items listed after reading the instructions and background. 3. Mark opposite sides of your chalkboard positive or negative or hang appropriate signs at opposite ends of your classroom. Explain to students when they vote with their feet that where they stand will show the strength of their opinion:

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--

++

very negative

undecided

very positive

4. Voting With Your Feet. Begin discussion by asking one or two rows of students to stand with their worksheets. Direct them to move to the negative, positive or undecided area of the classroom to show how they voted on worksheet item #1. See Teacher Notes to aid in discussion. Ask students to explain why they voted as they did. Try to get responses from all students. Invite seated class members to add their comments, so that both sides of each topic are explained. Allow students to move if they change their minds after hearing the opinions of others. Invite students to extend their written ideas on why on their worksheets during this discussion. 5. After discussing two or three items on the worksheet, ask those students to take their seats and bring a new group to the front to vote with their feet. Continue until all students have had an opportunity to vote with their feet and explain their reasoning. Closure: 1. Connect: ask students about local tourist attractions. In what positive or negative ways has that area been affected by tourism. 2. Introduce these two goals held by many communities and nations: a. protect the environment b. provide jobs and economic growth Ask students, either individually or in small groups, to rank order these goals and explain their reasoning to the whole group. Ask: is it possible to have economic growth and protect the environment? Explain that this is the idea behind sustainable development. (See Glossary for definition.) Assessment: Ask students to write about the positive and negative effects of selected items from the list. Create a rubric which will score quantity and quality of responses. (See sample provided.) Extensions/Interdisciplinary Connections: 1. (mathematics) Assign numeric ratings to each of the twenty items on What Do You Think? and determine class averages. Compare with other sections or assign each student to interview one adult and compare student responses with adult responses. Use computers to generate bar graphs on data. Or, modify the worksheet to collect student averages on responses before and after discussion of each item. 2. (language arts) Assign students to write an essay on tourism. It could relate to

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tourism in your area or what you learned in this activity about tourism in Costa Rica. Find out if one of these essays could be published in your school or local newspaper. 3. (language arts) Draft a letter or letters to area Chambers of Commerce or city administrators in areas with popular tourist attractions. In the letters (or fax) ask officials to list ten positive and ten negative effects of tourism in that area, giving specific dollar amounts generated by tourism if possible. Investigate how many jobs and how much income is generated in your state by tourism.

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Name: ____________________________

What Do You Think?--The Effects of Tourism

Background: Many countries (and maybe even your community!) try to attract tourists to help their economies grow. The following items are facts about Costa Rica. Costa Rica is a small country in Central America, about the size of West Virginia, with a population similar to the state of Iowa. Directions: Items 1-10 describe some of the effects of tourism on Costa Rica. Read each item and decide if you think this effect is positive or negative. Classify each item as P for positive effects or N for negative effects. If you cannot decide if the item is positive or negative, use ? for undecided. Briefly explain each choice after the word why?. 1. Tourism provides jobs for maids, waiters and taxi drivers. WHY?:

2. Tourism increased from 20,000 tourists in 1989 to 700,000 in 1994. WHY?:

3. Foreigners own most of the large resorts in Costa Rica. WHY?:

4. Private organizations like The Nature Conservancy provide money to train park rangers and guides who lead tourists on forest hikes. WHY?:

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5. Hotel beach lights confuse turtles hatching on the beach. Their instincts direct them towards the light, which is usually the moon reflecting on the ocean. WHY?:

6. Citizens in nations like Sweden, Denmark and the U.S. have provided money to preserve tropical forests in Costa Rica. WHY?:

7. Since 1993, tourism is the number one source of income for Costa Rica. WHY?:

8. Women formed cooperatives to create souvenirs like hand painted T-shirts and woodcrafts for tourists to buy. WHY?:

9. Volunteers come to Costa Rica each year to build and maintain hiking trails in parks and reserves. WHY?:

10. Costa Ricans who once worked on banana plantations find higher paying jobs with less physical work by working in the tourist industry. WHY?:

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Teacher Notes: What Do You Think?

Positive Effects
1. Tourism provides jobs for maids, waiters and taxi drivers. Employment provides a means of earning a living and supporting a family. These are traditionally low paying, unskilled jobs usually without much chance for advancement. Some locals come to resent rich tourists and thefts become an issue. Some tourists are very rude to local people.

Negative Effects

2. Tourism has increased. In 1989 about 20,000 tourists visited Costa Rica. In 1994 about 700,000 visited Costa Rica. Additional income helped Costa Rica develop its infrastructure (roads, water systems, electricity) as well as schools and medical facilities. Costa Ricans became more interested in preserving forests. Foreign income helps Costa Rica pay off international debts because the tourists pay to see the environment. Hotels, restaurants and many other businesses grew or started. This was a very rapid increase which resulted in huge changes almost overnight. Forests were cut and habitats changed to build high-rise hotels. Small communities experienced rapid unplanned growth. Prostitution and drug trade increased. Trails became damaged and eroded in some areas by overuse. Increased human traffic frightened some animal species into the more remote areas of the forest and fewer wildlife sightings are reported. Uninformed tourists feed animals; attacks on people by monkeys have resulted.

3. Foreigners own most of the large resorts in Costa Rica. Foreigners advertise in their home country; therefore increasing the number of tourists who come to know and enjoy Costa Ricas tropical forests and beaches. Most of the income created by tourism flows out of Costa Rica to these other countries; some Costa Ricans feel invaded by foreigners.

4. Private organizations like The Nature Conservancy have provided money to train park rangers and guides who lead tourists on forest hikes. Local people have gained a clearer understanding of Costa Ricas forests and wildlife. Some people secured better paying, more skilled jobs. The economy comes to depend on outside sources for funding education & training; if the funding stops, then what?

5. Hotel beach lights confuse baby turtles hatching on the beach. Their instincts direct them towards the light, which is usually the moon reflecting on the ocean. Awareness of these problems rose. Turtle protection zones were established in many areas; laws regarding lighting were created. 80% of Costa Rican beaches are developed. Turtle nesting was greatly affected, further endangering many species.

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6. Citizens in nations like Sweden, Denmark and the U.S. have provided money to preserve tropical forests in Costa Rica. Many acres of land have been put into private or national parks and reserves. Biodiversity has been maintained and international attention about the importance of biodiversity has occurred. Many research projects are in progress which may find new medicines. Central American tropical forests provide winter homes for birds commonly found in North and South America. Forests reduce soil erosion. This protects rivers. Forests provide oxygen for the planet and clean up air pollution. Foreign money has actually bid up the price of land. This makes it difficult for local farmers, called campesinos, to retain land for agricultural use, as they may want to sell out their farm land for a one time payoff. Two problems occur then: the people have no way to earn a living and, if less is grown, food becomes more expensive and more would need to be imported. Currently, half of Costa Ricas land is in some type of private or public park or reserve.

7. Since 1993, tourism is the number one source of income for Costa Rica. More money is available for a variety of uses; see Tourism can be a fickle business; its possible that #2. tourists could tire of a place and want to go somewhere new; bad publicity could seriously damage a tourist industry and many people livelihoods and social services would be affected. 8. Women formed cooperatives to create souvenirs for tourists to buy like hand painted T-shirts and wood crafts. Some womens cooperatives have become an Working outside the home has created changes and important source of money and self esteem for sometimes conflict and envy within the home and women in an area where they have been community; traditional child care practices have undervalued and under-educated. been changed. 9. Volunteers come to Costa Rica each year to build and maintain hiking trails in parks and reserves. Volunteers work for free and often pay their own way. Free labor is especially valuable in a country with restricted monetary resources. Many of the information advantages expressed in #3 also apply. Like tourists, volunteers also need places to sleep and food to eat, which means more land is developed. If free labor is available local people may not be able to find work. Programs may become dependent on outside help. Locals do not learn to maintain the trails. See #1 & 2.

10. Costa Ricans who once worked on banana plantations find higher paying jobs with less physical labor by working in the tourist industry. Most people want to earn higher wages; that money is spent and respected within the economy; most people want to have an easier day than working from dawn to dark under very hot and dirty conditions in rural areas where there is risk from pesticide-related illnesses and cuts by machetes. If the price of labor becomes too high, the banana industry may cease to exist or pass along higher costs to customers. Many Nicaraguans have fled to Costa Rica, legally and illegally, to escape war and worse economic conditions. They have taken these low paying plantation jobs; social tension has increased as some prejudice and hard feelings have resulted.

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Rubric/Guidelines for Presentations

Good Job

Areas to Improve

Quantity of Effects explains 3 or more results of explains 2 or less results of tourism tourism of Tourism identifies positive and negative effects of tourism Seeing Both Sides essay is legible; uses topic sentences; distinct ideas are paragraphed Writing identifies positive or negative effects of tourism but not both essay is not easy to read; no topic sentences evident; no paragraphing of distinct ideas

Discussion

involved in class discussion; answers in discussion only volunteers ideas; asks when called on to respond questions of others or connects this discussion to local area with questions like, but what about... or gives examples

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Activity 5: Eco-tourism

YOUR FAVORITE PLACE

Subject: Language Arts, Social Studies, Spanish Grade level: 6-9 Group size: whole class Methods: discussion in large group, pairs Skills: decision making, critical thinking Duration: 1/2 class period

Purpose: To demonstrate how groups make choices about the use of natural areas. To help students make connections between local special places and regional or international natural areas. Objectives: Students will describe a natural place special to them in some way. They will discuss and come to some tentative decisions about how local and global natural areas are affected by conscious choices. Materials: pen or pencil, and paper Background: This writing/discussion activity is meant to be a short, quick activity for a lead-in to the town meeting simulation on eco-development in Costa Rica. It is important that students first consider a local area that could be affected by change before they think in terms of how eco-tourism changes areas in Costa Rica. Procedure: 1. Ask students to describe in writing a special natural place they know (or might have seen on a video). 2. Share these places with the class.

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3. Discuss why many of these places are special to us. Lead toward the idea that we choose special places for different reasons. Some choices we make as individuals, others we make as groups. Sometimes the choices we make are good, sometimes bad. How we use these natural places, like national parks or state reserves, is decided by groups and these choices can help or hurt the environment, people, and the economy. Ask the students, if you were to make a stand about how a natural area should be used, what would you say? 4. Pose the following question: If your favorite place were to be developed--perhaps as a hotel for tourists--what would you do? How would you feel? How would these changes affect individuals? the environment? the economy? Closure: Continue with A Town Meeting Simulation. This activity asks students to look at many points of view about using a natural area in Costa Rica. Extensions: 1. If students do not have a special natural place, ask them to choose any special place they know. How would they feel if someone decided to change it? 2. Include a drawing in the description of a favorite place. 3. Follow the procedure of: think > ink > pair share > group share, with their descriptions. 4. Formalize the discussions, writing up the discussion questions for small groups to discuss and afterwards share with the large group.

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Activity 6: Eco-tourism

ECO-DEVELOPMENT IN COSTA RICA: A TOWN MEETING SIMULATION

Subject: Social Studies, Language Arts, Spanish Grade level: 6-9, adaptable for secondary school Group size: 25-30 Methods: role-play simulation, discussion, cooperative groups Skills: group cooperation, decision making, analyzing data, critical thinking Duration: 2 class periods

Purpose: To help students understand that eco-tourism in Costa Rica is a complex issue with positive and negative viewpoints. By role-playing as different local community members, the students should be able to identify with how Costa Ricans feel as eco-tourism is developed in their country. Objectives: Students will: 1. Interpret arguments and analyze situations for and against developing eco-tourism in a semi-fictional Costa Rican community. 2. Formulate viewpoints and express their opinions related to positive and negative aspects of tourism development. 3. Evaluate outcomes they and other student participants discuss during the role-play simulation. Materials: Interest Groups paragraphs Butcher paper, or large paper sheets for presentations, markers Rubric/Guidelines for Presentations Background: Costa Rica is a unique country with great biodiversity and friendly, generous people. The "Ticos" have come to value their country as special because of its preserved natural areas and beaches. Many realize that their country's beauty is appealing to nature-oriented tourists, who provide needed economic stimulation. However, eco-tourism development is a complicated issue. In talking to many local Costa Ricans involved in eco-tourism businesses, it is apparent that there are many viewpoints in regards to whether eco-tourism should be promoted and if so, what kind. Teachers should realize that there are no "right" answers about tourism development wherever it is promoted. By allowing

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students to make their own decisions here, they will be learning valuable skills in critical thinking that will help them be better world citizens in the future. This simulation, by proposing a 100-room proposed "eco-tourism hotel," in our opinion creates more controversy than would a smaller, presumably lower impact "eco-lodge." The role play is based on interviews made with real Costa Ricans. Some of the names are actual people and places, while others are fictionalized. Before the cooperative group activity, the teacher should plan which students will work effectively in groups of 3 or 4 (considering mixed ability levels). The rubric, found at the end of this activity, is designed to encourage students involvement during the presentations and to provide grading guidelines for group presentations. Procedure: 1. Read this background to the students: Puerto Jimnez is a small coastal city of approximately 5,000 people. It is located in the southern Pacific region of Costa Rica on the Osa Peninsula. A large part of the Osa Peninsula includes Corcovado National Park and other reserves. The climate is characterized by humid rainforest. It has a nice beach coastline of gray sand with some mangroves. Mangroves are important bird nesting and marine life areas where the tree roots grow right into the salt water. Some forest has been cut and burned for cattle grazing and cultivation. Currently the forest continues to be cut. The rainforests that remain are teeming with lush vegetation and bird and animal life. One visit to Corcovado is an unforgettable adventure for those who want to enjoy a real experience in the rainforest and admire one of the greatest biodiversities of our planet. Within the park, there live 500 species of trees, about 140 mammal, and almost 400 bird species. It is home to Costa Rica's largest population of the beautiful scarlet macaw. Other important or endangered rainforest species found here are: tapirs, five cat species, crocodiles, peccaries, giant anteaters, sloths, and monkeys. 2. Explain to the students that they are involved in a controversy about tourism being developed in Puerto Jimnez. The "Osa Dulce Company" wants to buy 100 hectares of forest in their coastal community and build a 100-room "eco-tourism" hotel. (1 hectare = 2.5 acres) Within Puerto Jimnez there are many voices either supporting or opposing the project. These people will all get a chance to express their opinions in front of a community council. These council members will vote for or against the project after all have spoken, including the hotel investors who present their project as "environmentally friendly." The mayor of the town is a non-voting member whose job is to maintain the order of the meeting, calling on the speakers, and timing the presentations.

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Groups:
1 mayor (could be teacher) 5 or 7 council members (should be odd number for voting) 3-4 hotel investors 3 campesino-cattle farmers 3 indigenous native people from the Osa Reserve 3 tourist-based small business owners 3 non-governmental community development project directors 3 women artisans 3 grassroots environmentalists

3. Assign students to groups. Have groups choose their role out of a hat. Also, students choose to be either their group's speaker, facilitator, or timer. 4. Give each group the description of their background and considerations. 5. Give twenty minutes for each group to formulate a position. To aid this process groups should fill a T-chart with positive and negative aspects of the proposal. They should provide four reasons to support their position. Meanwhile, the investor group prepares its proposal and the council members and mayor review the voting procedures and background information. 6. (Next class period) Starting with the hotel investors' proposal, each group's speaker gets five minutes to express his/her position. 7. After all the groups speak, the council members review their notes and vote individually (out loud) explaining their position. 8. A short teacher-led large group discussion follows the role-play. Closure: After the discussion, assign each student to write a paragraph. Community group members explain what they felt was the strongest argument made by their group. Council members justify their vote. The mayor writes his/her opinion. Hotel developers write how they might compromise and which group influenced them the most and why. Extensions: For the Spanish class, the teacher may want to translate some of the vocabulary and community positions into Spanish. For example: mayor - alcalde, eco-tourism ecoturismo, indigenous - indgena.

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Interest Groups
(NOTE: The (a) after each name makes the name feminine, if the name ends in -o, it is dropped before the -a is added. Some girls might have to play male parts.)

MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, TOWN OF PUERTO JIMENEZ NAMES: Juan(a) Bravo, Luis(a) Castillo, Manuel(a) Hernndez, Patricio(a) Rojas, Francisco(a) Alarcn, Juan(a) Higuera, Paco(a) Chvez, Luis(a) Vargas BACKGROUND INFO: The mayor is a non-voting member of the community council and will maintain order throughout the meeting, timing each speaker (limit 5 minutes), and introducing each one in turn. The community council members are to listen and take notes during all the presentations. You may ask polite questions of the speakers, but interrupting is not allowed. After the speakers are heard, you will tell how you vote out loud, giving reasons for voting as you did. CONSIDERATIONS: You want to consider the reasons given during each speaker's presentation. Your concern is for the betterment of the town, providing employment opportunities for its members. You also value reserving more forest land since you are concerned about deforestation in Costa Rica. You do not want short term solutions, but sustainable development in Puerto Jimnez. This means meeting the needs and wants of this generation without risking those of the future.

HOTEL INVESTORS, "OSA DULCE COMPANY" HOTEL NAME: "Lapa Roja" NAMES: Antonio(a) Lpez, Jorge Faustino, Jos Molina, John (Joan) Johnson BACKGROUND INFO: You are a group of Costa Rican and American business people who have formed a company called "Osa Dulce." You have tourist facilities located in other areas of Costa Rica, and realize that the Osa Peninsula area is underdeveloped for tourism. Since the large Corcovado National Park and several other reserve areas exist in the area, you decide to upscale the tourism appeal and propose a 100-room hotel near Puerto Jimnez. A nice pool, golf course, and tennis courts are in the plans. The beach area will have to be cleared of some mangroves. You realize the locals may have opposing views on upgrading tourism in the area, so you try to present your hotel as "eco-friendly". This means your group wants to focus on low impact (not much change) to the environment and promoting tourists that are nature-oriented. CONSIDERATIONS: Your group also wants to concentrate on the benefits of tourism to the local community: employment; encouraging agriculture, industry, and business; and providing taxes and income for the government.

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CAMPESINOS (SMALL CATTLE FARMERS) NAMES: Jos Mora, Ronald Quesada, Francisco Vargas BACKGROUND INFO: You are a group of local farmers. Your farms consist of cattle pastures (beef), rice, and sugar cane. Some of you grow tuber crops like yucca. You need to clear more cattle pasture and room for cultivation. CONSIDERATIONS: Tourism might prohibit the use of resources from the forest (like cutting trees, hunting, and planting fields). You may fear losing the use of your cultivated lands near the forest and the opportunity to hunt there (although hunting is actually illegal). You could possibly sell your beef to the hotel for its restaurant. You also realize that your children could possibly be employed as hotel staff in the future.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE FROM THE OSA RESERVE NAMES: Benson Vanegas, Gabriel(a) Roblezo, Laura Rivera BACKGROUND INFO: You are from a group of indigenous people from the Osa Reserve near Corcovado National Park and the area that the Osa Dulce Company wants to buy. You have hunting rights in your reserve. Some of you are small-time gold miners, illegally panning for gold in Corcovado. Many of your people have knowledge about the use of tropical forest plants for food and medicinal purposes. You value the forest for the wealth of resources it provides. CONSIDERATIONS: You want to protect the forest upon which you depend in order to survive; however, the gold miners in your reserve may be opposed to bringing in more tourists because there will be greater restrictions and surveillance in the National Park. You also value maintaining your rich cultural traditions and may feel threatened or fear exposure to foreign values and ways of living.

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TOURIST-BASED SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS NAMES: Roberto Vsquez, Alberto Herrera, Jos Varela BACKGROUND INFO: Your group consists of two small boat owners, one that promotes snorkeling and one that provides coastal tours and fishing to tourists, and a "pulpera" (small general store) owner from Puerto Jimnez. You have had some good and some bad experiences with tourists. Some tourists have been rude to Roberto, refusing to respond when he politely offered them his snorkeling services. Alberto, the small tour boat owner, does not appreciate the young backpacking tourists who come to Costa Rica only to have "fun" and use drugs. They do not spend money in the community and are often disrespectful of the locals. He was directly insulted by one such tourist. Jos, the pulpera owner, realizes that more tourists will increase the profits of his small general store. CONSIDERATIONS: More tourists would improve your businesses, but also change your way of life. You may encourage a more educational type of eco-tourism to avoid drastic changes.

WOMEN ARTISANS NAMES: Gladys Rodrguez, Tatiana Castillo, Carla Snchez BACKGROUND INFO: You are members of a small group of women who meet during the afternoons to carve and paint wood and embroider cloth in forms of rainforest animals to sell to tourists. Currently it is hard to find the time away from your household chores to meet, share materials, and work on your projects. However, you and your husbands realize that more tourists in the area would increase the number of people who would buy your creations. CONSIDERATIONS: Like the other local people in Puerto Jimnez, you would favor more tourists in order to sell more of your handicrafts, but you also fear the changes that would occur with exposure to foreign values. You value your family and simple way of life. But, you also realize that more tourists create more opportunities for yourselves and your children.

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NON-GOVERNMENTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT DIRECTORS--"BOSCOSA" PROJECT NAMES: Rogelio Vargas, Walter Benavides, Patricia Alba BACKGROUND INFO: You are directors of "BOSCOSA," a project supported by Fundacin Neotrpica, funded partly by the Nature Conservancy. The BOSCOSA project works with local people promoting sustainable agro-forestry projects and eco-tourism that benefit local people. You do this because the local people have had a hard time making a basic income. You also run a program to train local Costa Ricans to serve as guides for tourists hiking in the rainforest reserves. Another program you promote is a Youth Environmental Camp. CONSIDERATIONS: You want to promote projects that provide more opportunity for local people's employment, like eco-tourism, but you also realize that much of the profit made by hotel companies goes to foreigners, and not to the local people. You might want to suggest changes to the hotel proposal.

GRASSROOTS ENVIRONMENTALISTS NAMES: Marielos Alarcn, Pedro Porras, Ramn(a) Cedeo BACKGROUND INFO: You are a part of a new ecological committee trying to protect the forests that remain in the area. Last year Strong Products, an American Forest Products Company that rents area lands, proposed putting in a chipper mill and shipping docks in the area. The company plants melina, a tree that matures in three years and is ready to process for paper pulp. Your group successfully stopped putting the mill and docks near Puerto Jimnez. CONSIDERATIONS: You feel tourism could be a source of jobs for the community. You also think some consequences of tourism might harm the environment by changing natural surroundings, causing sewage problems, producing more garbage, etc. You feel the hotel company should promote educational and natural tourism, not just beach use and golf. Often tourists educated about the tropical forest give donations to environmental projects. Also, you feel large-scale hotel projects would destroy the mangrove coastline in the area.

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Rubric/Guidelines for Presentations

1. Students kept to their assigned role and contributed to the development of the group's argument. 2. The group recorded logical arguments on the T-chart and presented a clear position. (or took notes as a council member and supported his/her vote with logical opinions) 3. The individual student listened quietly to other presentations, not interrupting the speakers or class activity. 4. The student's paragraph is well-written and thoughtful, considering the requirements explained. Total points/grade _____ Teacher comments: _____ / 25 pts. total

_____ / 25 pts. total

_____ / 25 pts. total

_____ / 25 pts. total

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