National Geographic’s 2008 Photo Camp: Costa Rica asked participants to paint a portrait of EARTH University to show how its students, staff, and the surrounding community in Guácimo, Limón, are working toward sustainable development in the tropics by balancing agricultural production and environmental preservation. The workshop, held in July, supported the university’s goals of producing leaders with ethical values to contribute to sustainable development as well as to a prosperous and just society.
This gallery presents images made during the workshop paired with the photographer’s thoughts on the environment. Here, a shot by student Carolina Hernández Chant shows an orange-and-blue frog on a moss-covered branch.
“Sooner or later all of us will reach that connection [with nature],” wrote Chant. “Some faster than others. Maybe some will wait until water is scarce, or there’s little air left to breath. Some of us have discovered the truth that nature, animals, and every single being on this planet is made of the same elements. We are the union of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen. We are part of a wonderful world that struggles, day after day, to maintain a balance between species.”
