Twelve Middlebury students will be traveling to Costa Rica over February break as part of a Middlebury Alternative Break (MAlt) trip. This trip seeks to explore environmental conservation in indigenous lands and the relationship of this community with the environment. We will be partnering with Diwo Ambiental in their project “Bosque para Nacer Agua” which aims to increase current forest cover in Boruca Pueblo in order to protect the community’s source of water.

Boruca is an indigenous tribe in South-Pacific Costa Rica, whose culture and people endured centuries of oppression and segregation, yet resisted losing their mystic and religious relation with nature. Since receiving legitimate rights to their land, tribal members have united forces to promote cultural preservation. With that purpose, we will be working on their reforestation project, as well as data collection for an inventory of species of cultural and environmental importance.