Book Review: Farm City
Novella Carpenter is an Urban Farmer. It’s a label she stumbles upon while carousing at a local speakeasy and it is a perfect fit to describe her unusual lifestyle. Novella may live in “the ghetto” of Oakland, California, but that doesn’t stop her from pursuing her agricultural dreams: from cultivating heirloom vegetables and fruit to [...]
Alumni Profile: Jen Ryan
SFS alumna Jen (Loose) Ryan Costa Rica Spring ’94 learned a lot from riding the buses through Central America, even if she did not realize it at the time. “Looking at the massive erosion from certain agricultural practices gave me a sense of how important good environmental laws and regulations are. I saw for myself [...]
Building a Solar Oven in Costa Rica
Name: Ana Contessa Aguilar Position: Intern Program: Sustainable Development Studies, Costa Rica SFS Alum: Costa Rica Summer ’11 Sun is the main source of energy for Earth, and here in Atenas, during the dry season, we are lucky to have it shining strong and bright every day. The problem is, like in lot of [...]
Living Sustainably in Costa Rica & Beyond SFS
Name: Vanessa Goh School: University of California/Los Angeles Major: Environmental Science SFS Program: SFS Costa Rica, Summer 2011 The alarm goes off at 6AM; time to rise and shine for the members of Pandilla Group 3. As we get up we are greeted by a multitude of bird calls from the surrounding forest. We put [...]
Exhilarating Fieldwork, Hikes, and Sustainability
Lauren Wilson, Colorado State University SFS Sustainable Development Studies, Costa Rica After making long journeys from virtually every corner of the United States, all 34 of us students arrived safely in the beautiful country of Costa Rica Monday afternoon. In only a week’s time, we have already acquainted ourselves with The SFS Center for Sustainable [...]
One Generation Grows the Trees, the Next Enjoys the Shade
Name: John Track Position: Intern Program: SFS Rainforest Studies, Australia Seeing a cassowary in Australia is awe-inspiring; touching one can be deadly. Recently I received an invitation to do both with a guarantee of zero harm to either party. In early November I was privileged to attend the 13th annual Wet Tropics Management Authority (WTMA) [...]
