The Virginia Visit

Ten youth and one adult from Costa Rica visited Virginia during the summer of 1999. Most of these youth attended Aguas Zarcus High School in northeast Costa Rica and worked on a river conservation project together. The adult who accompanied the group was the school's agriculture teacher.

Although the delegates stayed with families all across Virginia, they joined together for two days of camping at Crab Tree Falls in the Blue Ridge Mountains. While at Crab Tree they hiked in the George Washington National Forest and toured an apple orchard in Nelson County. We also visited a farm where wild cats are raised for educational purposes.

We learned that agriculture and forestry products are the two biggest industries in Nelson County, and that their logs and apples are shipped all over the world. We also learned about rainfall. It rained the entire time we camped. Total annual rainfall in the rainforest region of Costa Rica is around 4,000 ml. In Nelson County, and most of Virginia, it is around 1,000 ml per year.

The night before departing for Costa Rica, the forestry and wildlife club in Loudoun County hosted a going-away party for the group. While there, the Costa Rica visitors entertained us with traditional dances from their country.

Return to the main page.