The Sendero Pacífico: A Long Distance Hiking Trail and a New Form of Rural Tourism, Poster 34

During a J-term internship in San Luis de Monteverde, Costa Rica, a rural, agricultural town near the most popular tourist destination in the country, I worked with the local development association on a project called the... [ view full abstract ]

During a J-term internship in San Luis de Monteverde, Costa Rica, a rural, agricultural town near the most popular tourist destination in the country, I worked with the local development association on a project called the Sendero Pacífico Trail. This long distance hiking trail will span from the cloud forests in Monteverde to the mangroves on the Gulf of Nicoya, connecting forest patches along the way. The main goals of the project are to promote recreation, education, conservation, and community in the Bellbird Biological Corridor to ultimately fuel a different kind of ecotourism in which the benefits are more equally distributed throughout local populations. Components of this project include building and developing a trail network, leading guided hikes, setting up environmental monitoring and citizen science programs, promoting preservation and reforestation in the trail corridor, GIS mapping, and developing economic activities in each community along the trail. There is a special focus on the shared benefits the trail will create for both human and animal communities. Continued work and research in the area will continue and those interested in the work are encouraged to ask questions about potential travel and work next J-term.