RíoArte internships in the south of Costa Rica offer much to students of the environment. Known for enacting visionary policies to protect large and diverse areas of land, Costa Rica nonetheless is facing what some are calling an impending water crisis: rivers, and the biodiversity they nourish and support - corridors of water which link conserved areas - have been virtually ignored. Nor has the country found a way to involve significant sectors of civil society in conserving biodiversity. Like many people elsewhere working to protect the environment, at this juncture, noted environmentalists in the country are questioning: How to move from what has been almost uniquely land-, to water-based conservation; how to broaden "conservation" to include caring for corridors which connect protected areas; and how to involve many different sectors of society, especially women, youth, and people who live on the margins of society, in these efforts?

The south is the country's poorest region and is home to much of its renown biodiversity. Central America 's largest dam is scheduled to be built here; Del Monte pineapple, the world's leading producer of the fruit, Costa Rica 's third largest exporter and the main source of employment in the south, settled here in 1978. Along with cattle ranchers, sugar cane farmers and coffee growers, the company is altering the region's rivers, by irrigating from them. Local people are looking to promote and finance a thorough study of the region's rivers, establish open and inclusive dialogue about how water should be used, and support fragile new initiatives to help this region transition to more sustainable ways of earning a living. How to make these transitions?  Two other emblematic, and important opportunities for learning involve, first, the various "green" seals Del Monte has received. Do they reflect a sustainable use of water? As the world itself heads into a number of interrelated water crises, the question of how effective certifying programs are, especially as they relate to water, becomes even more important. Last, increasingly, Costa Rica  is turning to Payment for Environmental Services programs to help conserve the environment.  A national tariff on water was just announced. It will be interesting to observe the effect this has in the region.

RíoArte interns live in the town of Volcán de Buenos Aires, located in the center of a number of Del Monte's fields - and 15 kilometers from the Parque Internacional La Amistad, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Conservation International's website lists this park as being a convergence point for 75% of migrating birds in the western hemisphere. We work with students, one by one, to craft internships which utilize each student's talents and passions and experience. Artists, scientists, educators, community organizers, those interested in water, national parks, forestry, youth and women in the environment - we have room and need for you all, and for many others. We're looking for students who are creative, and willing to experiment with mixing disciplines and specialties, in keeping with what these challenging times demand.

For more information contact: Madeline Kiser at mkiser@dakotacom.net

Related Articles on Volcán :

Marilyn Berlin Snell, “Pineapple Republic : In Costa Rica, a fed-up rancher takes on a produce giant” in Sierra Magazine, March/April 2002.

Lindsey McCormack, “El Tesoro de Volcán: Water-based community organizing in Costa Rica ” in ReVista: Harvard Review of Latin America, Winter 2005.