Around the Diocese

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I just returned from 10 days in Costa Rica, where I hugged an 800-year-old tree, saw a 15-foot American crocodile, tasted lingua and agua de sapo for the first time, and even managed to forget what day it was.

I’ve wanted to visit Costa Rica ever since I read about Tortuga National Park, which is perhaps best known as a nesting place for leatherback sea turtles. This species, which as an adult can weigh up to 1,000 pounds, faced extinction when I was growing up, and remains endangered today. It is the largest turtle in the world and they, like crocodiles, have existed since the age of the dinosaurs.

I still haven’t gone to Tortuga, but I did see quite a bit of the rest of the northern part of country, from the rainforest to the dry forest. Along the way I saw more than 270 bird species, coatimundi, capuchin monkeys, agouti, iguanas  and a two-toed sloth with a baby, not to mention numerous butterflies and moths and hundreds of flowers. I also had the chance to meet some people who are involved in various conservation efforts, such as a man who works for a pineapple company but taught himself about birds to protect a specific rare species, and a family who is employing sustainable farming techniques as they sell natural products such as honey. The tour I was on also included lectures on the efforts being made to protect the scarlet macaw and the resplendent quetzals, both beautiful bird species whose existence is threatened.

The first full day of the trip we took a boat tour on the Tarcoles River, which our guide said was the most polluted river in the country. Despite the pollution, we saw amazing flora and fauna all around us. My two most favorite memories of that day were watching a gray hawk carry off an iguana, and seeing the 15-foot crocodile known as Mike Tyson (see the photo). Sitting safely in a boat at a respectful distance from the 1,000-pound creature, I  thought about how we humans abuse creation, not only by polluting our environment but also by indiscriminate killing. Like the leatherback turtle, the scarlet macaw, the resplendent quetzal and numerous other species not only in Costa Rica but around the world, the American crocodile is endangered. Mike Tyson may have managed to live 80 years so far, but many of his kin are not so lucky, and without continuing conservation efforts, ours might be the last generation to have the chance to see these amazing creatures in their natural habitat.

“Creation is a gift, it is a wonderful gift that God has given us, so that we care for it and we use it for the benefit of all, always with great respect and gratitude,” Pope Francis said, and I have to agree. After 10 days during which I spent most of my waking hours outdoors admiring God’s creation, I returned home with greater respect and gratitude for this gift that inspires the spirit and refreshes the soul.

Marie Mischel is editor of the Intermountain Catholic. Reach her at marie@icatholic.org.