Allow me a short diversion before I describe our next trip. Our first morning back from Panama, we were welcomed back by several quetzal birds! We heard them calling while we ate breakfast, and so we went out in search of them and were fortunate enough to watch them fly around in the forest overhead. It’s mating season, so they are pretty active in the San Gerardo valley these days. Here’s a photo of a male.
We haven’t been back a week yet, and I’m already preparing our family for our next trip—a tour of the biomes/ecosystems of Costa Rica with the students from the QERC field station. We leave this Monday (March 12). Vern’s been working with the station manager to prepare reading material and field exercises that the students will complete on this trip. There are several interesting focal points: learning the ecology of different ecosystems of Costa Rica; seeing different types of resource management (eg. a family-owned sustainable farm, national parks, a biological research station, etc.); and reflecting on how to steward each of these unique environments. This last point is important to the mission of QERC, since they/we are training students to be faithful to the call to care for God's creation.
Our family is really excited to go on this trip for several reasons: we are looking forward to seeing and experiencing other regions of Costa Rica; we enjoy spending time with the university students, and the kids soak up the extra attention; someone else is making all of the travel arrangements, something we will appreciate after our Panama trip; and near the end of the biomes tour, we get to meet up with John, Heidi, Ella and Sophie (my brother and his family) at Arenal volcano!
Vern will finish up the biomes trip and return to San Gerardo de Dota with the QERC students, and I will travel back with Claire & Caleb and John & Heidi’s family. We all return on March 23rd. We’ve booked a cabin right next to ours for John and Heidi to stay at for several days before they return to Canada. Claire and Caleb are anticipating showing their cousins our Costa Rican home here in San Gerardo de Dota.
This past week has been challenging for Vern, as he’s been under the weather with a cold. We appreciate your prayers for Vern to recover fully from his cold before we leave, and that our family would stay healthy. We’ve been extra thankful for our vehicle this week so Vern hasn't needed to hike back up the mountain each day after working at the QERC field station.
Really very exciting trips..These type of trips are also considered as a educational tours for the students...
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