Fall 2014 First Field Trip: Water and Energy, Part 1

Guanacaste: alternative energies, hot springs, and cold waterfalls

We traveled for 2 weeks to immerse ourselves in the themes of Water and Energy.  Our travels first took us to the Guanacaste region, in the north, where you find hydropower, wind and solar farms, and geothermal plants all within a short distance of each other.  There are some pretty sweet aquatic systems as well, like rushing rivers, hot springs, and waterfalls.   

Our first stop was at a wind farm near Tilarán.  We're pretty pleased by the landscape: wind turbines decorate the rolling cattle pastures and the Arenal Volcano emerges in the distance.

Our smiling faces belong to: Maxwell Fleming (University of Colorado-Boulder), Abby Lutmer (Appalachian State University), Emily Valencia (University of Colorado-Boulder), Rachel Weber (Duke University), Benjamin Russin (Oberlin College).  (Karen Masters, Adam Stein, and Paola Muñoz lurk behind the camera!) 

Is Adam happy because he likes wind power, or because a dog appeared on the scene?

Arenal Volcano, smoking in the background...

We visited the Arenal reservoir and hydropower plant, and toured an irrigation system that brings water to the arid Guanacaste region.  It all sounds great until you find out that the project entirely diverted Caribbean-bound rivers to the Pacific Ocean, drying them up entirely. The project also required relocating two entire farming villages.  We will re-visit these themes at the end of the field trip, when we head south to learn about the controversial Diquís hydropower proposal.

This was our first introduction to ICE, the Costa Rica Electric Company, and our first chance to wear stylish hard hats.

We moved on to geothermal power and a solar farm near Rincón de la Vieja National Park, where hotsprings and boiling mud pots are abundant, thanks to the geothermal activity of this mountainous area.  

Costa Rica's first solar farm is situated along the sunny foothills of the Miravalles volcano, and directly across from one of 5 of the nation's geothermal plants.

 We spent a day  in Rincón de la Vieja National Park, a magical place of fumaroles, steamy vents, dark forests, and waterfalls.  We  didn't see dragons but we're pretty sure that they live here.

Abby is awed...

Adam lectures while a bubbling hot mudpot bubbles the hot mud.

Benjamin stares down a strangler fig.

A very hot hot spring:

A long hike rewards us with this stunning waterfall and pool.

Maxwell cools off:

Rachel, Emily and Abby soak up rays along the pool's edge:

An iguana follows their lead...

This is the watery wonderland we called home for a few days...complete with pools warmed with geothermally-heated spring water. 

A great day comes to a close: the sun sets over wind and cattle farms in Guanacaste.