Goals and Expectations
1. To increase youth awareness of natural resources in Costa Rica and Virginia.
2. To increase awareness that we live in a global economy.
3. To compare tropical and temperate forest ecosystems.
4. To offer an exciting, low-cost cultural experience for youth of Virginia and Costa Rica.
The exchange takes place over two successive summers. In July of the first year, Virginia youth will host a Costa Rican youth in their home for two weeks. In July of the second year, Virginia youth travel to Costa Rica to live with their host brother or sister. Youth in both countries plan family and group activities for their host brothers and sisters. There will be at least one pre-exchange meeting to increase cultural awareness. Youth are expected to pay for airfare and incidental expenses, totaling approx. $800.
Sponsorship
The exchange is sponsored by Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources (CNR), Fundacion Nacional de Clubes, 4-S. Local businesses and individuals have also contributed to the exchange, including:
Eastman Chemical Co.
Ivy Creek Foundation
Loudoun County 4-H Wildlife Judging Team
Smurfitt-Stone Container Corporation
Tazewell County 4-H
How to Apply
Any county 4-H group of 10 or more youth and one adult volunteer may apply to participate. Prior participation in 4-H is not required, but an interest in natural resources is. County groups must contact their Extension Agent by January of the proposed exchange year. Extension Agents forward their group's intent to Jeff Kirwan, Extension Specialist at Virginia Tech, who contacts the exchange director in Costa Rica. If more than one county group from Virginia is interested in any given year, and additional exchange groups in Costa Rica cannot be found, a selection process will be based on the strength of individual applications and the group's ability to plan activities for the host family experience.
Background
The program began in 1993-94 as an "interstate exchange" between youth of Campbell County, VA and Costa Rica. During an interstate exchange youth live in the home of a host family, local volunteers plan group travel and activities, and the cost to participants is quite low. Group activities in both countries have included overnight camping, hiking, canoe trips, and nature study. Youth leaders in Costa Rica used the exchange experience as a reward for achievement in 4-S activities. Youth leaders in Virginia have used the exchange to reach and involve new youth in 4-H activities.
Since 1994, three exchanges have been conducted, involving youth from Clarke, Culpeper, Goochland, Loudoun, Mecklenburg, Nelson, Nottoway, Rockingham, Tazwell and York Counties.
Language
Language will be a challenge in most cases. Costa Rican youth will understand a little English, about the same as many of our youth will understand a little Spanish. Fortunately, many words in Spanish come from root words we recognize in English, if we are creative and listen closely. For example, consider their word for tree, "arbol" is like our word, "arbor." Some suggestions: speak slowly and clearly, and offer alternative words when speaking.
Culture
Costa Rica enjoys a literacy rate comparable to the U.S. and a very stable government. Our Costa Rica host families are generally middle-class, with high cultural awareness. They live in the northwest, mountain rain forest region of Costa Rica.
Fact Sheet about the World's Forests
| Boreal Forests | Temperate Forests | Tropical Forests |
| located above 45É N. latitude | 30 to 45É N. latitude | 15É N. to 15É S latitude |
| trees are mostly needle-leaved, evergreen | mostly broad-leaved, deciduous | mostly broad-leaved, evergreen |
| low diversity - 4 species make up 95% of trees | intermediate diversity- 10 to 20 species = 95% of trees | high diversity- 20 to 40 species = 95% of trees |
| 5% clearing rate; return to forest | 5% clearing rate; converted to other uses | 5%clearing rate; converted to agriculture |
| fire and insects are major disturbance factors; large scale | hurricanes, wind, ice are major disturbances; large scale | individual tree falls are major disturbance; small scale |
| major lumber/pulpwood repository | some high quality hardwoods; pine plantations for pulp | high quality hardwoods; shortage of softwoods |
| major tree defenses are resins | resins and tannins | trees produce organo-phosphate poisons |
| exploitive forestry (not replanted) | exploitive and plantation | exploitive |
| Nitrogen is limiting nutrient | Nitrogen is limiting; sometimes phosphorus and calcium | Phosphorus and trace elements are limiting; nitrogen to a lesser degree. |
| Seeds are wind dispersed | seeds are wind, bird and mammal dispersed | mammal pollination and dispersal is very important |
Notes
1. Costa Rican rainforests are located at 10É North latitude. Virginia is 38É N.
2. Two examples of broad-leaved evergreens in the US are magnolia and live oak.
3. There are many rare species in the tropics; up to 600 species in a 100 ha space!
4. In Europe and North America there has actually been an increase in forest area (afforestation) in recent years, due to farm land growing back into forest land.
5. Fires also occur in tropical forests, but they are rare. Slash and burn agriculture has been taking place at least 5,000 years.
6. Books are very expensive in Costa Rica, because they have to be imported (no paper making capability). Also, electric and telephone poles are made of concrete, not pine trees like the U.S.
7. Sawmill operators in the tropics have been killed by neurotoxins emitted from trees.
8. Exploitive forestry is not necessarily a bad thing. Trees will regenerate naturally in most cases. It is really a matter of what types of trees we want to grow in harvested areas.
9. Research has shown that limiting trace elements are transported across the ocean, in dust originating from African deserts.
10. Two examples of mammal dispersed trees in Virginia are members of tropical plant families: paw-paw (custard-apple family) and persimmon (ebony family).
Return to main page.