For our trip this year, we were very fortunate to be given the opportunity to award a $1,000 scholarship to one of our travelers. Amanda and I knew we wanted to have the students write an essay that asked them to do research on where we were headed. So, we came up with the prompt: "Why does conservation matter? Pick a specific conservation issue in Costa Rica to support your argument." We had seven outstanding essays submitted to us. After some deliberation, we decided to award Mia Wupperman, grade 8 our scholarship. She gave me permission to post her essay response.
Here it is:
"In sorrow, let us revere our stillborn Earth, upon whose body we thrive."
The Importance of Conservation
Mia Wuppermann
Grade 8
Why does conservation matter? From the lush forests to the pristine beaches that cover our Earth, conservation in these places is essential to the life of humanity. In the community of Montero, on Chira Island, 23 women planted nearly 8,000 mangroves in degraded areas over the course of a year. These women exemplified the type of ethic, fire, and dedication that we need to find to protect our animals, our nature, and our Earth.
First and foremost, without putting efforts towards conserving and protecting the Earth, we as humans are endangering ourselves and humanity as a whole. From the time you were a child, you have been taking from the Earth. Your baby food contained juicy fruits and sweet sugar. The air you breathed, the milk you drank, the soft cotton that hugged your body, all came from the Earth. After all that Earth does for us, we must care for it to allow it to care for us. We need clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, clean foods to eat. By destroying these things, we are putting ourselves in danger as well as our home planet. We are killing the things that support us, and therefore killing ourselves. Every time you throw your trash on the ground, your weakening your Earth and your supply of resources, and consequently weakening yourself. The article “7 Reasons Why Costa Rica is the Healthiest Country in Latin America” states that “In the entire world, there are only 5 cities considered “blue zones,” or areas where locals commonly live to 100 years of age. The only blue zone in Latin America is on the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica.” The article also states that “More and more studies are showing that people who move to Costa Rica later in life experience a huge boost in health status.” This article claims that one of the reasons for Costa Rica being claimed a “blue zone” is because of the healthy foods they have access to. The article states that “Not only have Costa Ricans developed healthier eating habits, they actually have access to better foods than most of the rest of the world.” More than 25% of Costa Rica’s territory is protected areas, and clearly, this has had a large effect on not only the environment but on the health of the people who live there. Pura Vida means pure life, and this is the motto that is lived by in Costa Rica. Through these strong efforts and accomplishments, Costa Ricans have been able to provide for the Earth and therefore provide for themselves.
Equally as important, our Earth is our responsibility. Just like all human lives, life on Earth has needs and requires attention and nourishment. Chief Seattle once said, “The Earth does not belong to us. We belong to the Earth.” This quote explains the cause and effect cycle that we have on the Earth, and the Earth has on us. When we take care of the Earth, the Earth takes care of us, and the contrary also applies. Conservation is a way for us to give the Earth and it’s creatures the nourishment it needs. In April of 2014, a group of mostly female volunteers took action to restore a forest where it had been cut to the ground four decades previously. The group formed a human chain and passed the trees from one person to another, deeper into the degraded sections of the forest. Once the trees were in the forest, the crew worked together to plant them. Deforestation is a prime example of mistreating the Earth and using it irresponsibly. Not only is it an issue in Costa Rica and other tropical environments, but everywhere. Through this movement, these locals are protecting their home. They are protecting the trees, the animals who live in and below the trees, they are protecting their lives, and protecting the lives of generations to come. Briefly, nourishing Earth and the lives on it will give us access to resources we need. Taking responsibility for conserving our Earth will allow us to continue belonging to the Earth.
Last but not least, conservation gives us a clearer path to the future. Unfortunately, we can’t go back in time, and we can’t fix the mistakes that have already been made. Thankfully, we CAN stop the destruction in its path. Through conservation, we are giving ourselves a cleaner and more pure future. Conservation and environmental preservation are ways to moderate what we use. Planning for the future and considering the resources we need and will be needing could be a game changer. This type of planning and preserving will save us from ourselves, and save the Earth from overuse. In completion, conservation is a secure way to the future we all want to see, and a way to avoid destroying the beautiful Earth we occupy.
Ultimately, the world is headed in a negative direction without conservation. Conservation is essential for us to keep on progressing in a successful manner. Conservation is our responsibility, and we need to make the effort to shoulder that responsibility. It is a way to safely create a future for ourselves, and for humanity. We need conservation, to save the Earth we love, and to save ourselves.
Works Cited
“7 Reasons Why Costa Rica Is the Healthiest Country in Latin America.” AXNMLS, 12 Oct. 2017, www.axnmls.com/7-reasons-costa-rica-health-healthiest-country-latin-america/.
“About.” IUCN, 8 Aug. 2018, www.iucn.org/theme/protected-areas/about.
Aventuras Tierra Verde S.A. Costa Rica Festivals and Cultural Events - Aventuras Tierra Verde, adventure-costarica.com/travel/sustainable_tourism_costa_rica/conservation_efforts_history_projects_organizations.htm.
“Costa Rica.” Conservation International, www.conservation.org/where/Pages/Costa-Rica.aspx.
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