Journal entry:
After an action-packed day at Corcovado National Park, I was deep in thought on the boat ride back to the bus. As we bounced over waves, I looked out over the majestic green cliffs on the coastline and reflected on the experiences I had today. Our adventures in Corcovado had begun with a family of coatis crossing the path just feet away from me, opening my eyes to a creature I didn’t even know existed until they were right in front of me. We walked through the rainforest with steady steps, stopping to witness howler, spider, and squirrel monkeys flying from tree to tree just above our heads. When we came to another stop, I was elated to hear that our tour guide Manuel had seen a sloth hanging in a towering tree. He set up the telescope and gave us all a chance to see the sloth slowly munching away at the tree leaves with a baby clinging to its back. This was a very special moment for me because I had been hoping to see a sloth and suddenly there was one just above me. Throughout the day, Manuel had been mentioning reports of a taper sighting in the park and as we were hiking, he led us into the thick trees and bushes to see one peacefully resting in a pool with eyes slowly blinking. I stood in awe watching this taper, shocked by its presence, because I had never imagined actually being able to see one right in front of me. These are the things that you often only see in pictures and hear stories about. Being able to witness this for myself was insane. And as I sat on the boat leaving this surreal place, I realized that I was only able to truly appreciate the beauty of nature in Corcovado by being immersed in it. Be it seeing creatures I had only dreamed about, or walking through a rainforest while the rain was pouring down on me, I was present in that space and able to use my own senses to experience all of its wonders. And I know now why the park is so heavily protected and loved because I was able to go there and be in it. We can only go so far when we look at a picture or hear a story, but by living it we are able to really see it for everything that it is. These beautiful places exist because people have lived them and want to conserve them for people like me and my Shoulder to Shoulder group to appreciate. One of our NGO partners said the other day that we have the power to either destroy or preserve. That was a statement that I came back to today because of our trip to Corcovado and seeing that conservation in action. I choose to use my power to preserve.