Located in the Guanacaste province, the Palo Verde
National Park is one of the main parks in Costa Rica. It covers an area of
around 46 acres, including much of the area of the valley of the Tempisque
River. One can also spot a number of wild species, as this park is rich in
fauna. However, the most important fact about this park is that it is 10km from
my community, Ortega.
Roughly
700 people live in this rural community, with 600 living in the neighboring
community of Bolson. The principal economic activity is tourism, due to the
proximity to the park. Many tours are led through the Tempisque River to see
its migratory birds and infamous crocodiles. In addition, we have a big
agricultural industry because of the numerous sugar cane plantations around the
region; a large part of the population works for these companies.
In
2015 Ortega will host its first Jumpstart camp alongside two other schools,
Bolson and La Guinea. Because of the large touristic presence, kids understand
the importance of learning English and are waiting for the camp to begin. Luckily,
all of the communities involved have a very active parent association willing
to help Jumpstart 2015 Ortega become a success!
My name is Igor Ferreira Soares and I am a Peace Corps
volunteer in Ortega de Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
