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| United Forces Clean-Up the District of Tamarindo |
| Friday, 28 March 2008 | |
 (CACDT) Over 90 large garden-sized trash bags were filled in the clean-up of the San Andres River of Santa Rosa and the San Francisco estuary in Tamarindo-Langosta March 5 and 6. This clean-up was the first step in an effort to bring awareness to the communities about the problems we have regarding the proper management and disposal of our waste. Organized by Comite Ambiental y Cultural del Distrito de Tamarindo (CACDT) and supported by several local businesses and organizations,....  Photo drcr:Environmental and Cultural Committee This campaign will include future clean-ups, environmental education, and the installation of proper and sufficient infrastructure, including motivational signs and trash receptacles. This campaign was motivated by the preoccupation the members of the committee had regarding the amount of trash that is thrown directly into the rivers that empty into the Tamarindo and San Francisco estuaries, and ultimately the ocean. Dr. Casandra Rauser, director of the Tamarindo Preserve Conservancy and member of the committee, commented that “you would be amazed at the sort of disregard for the environment that we encountered during this clean-up. Many homes are obviously throwing there household trash directly into the river and mangroves. In addition to the ‘normal’ household trash, we encountered clothing, shoes, fans, bicycles, large tin sheets, tires, and mattresses, among others. Perhaps the saddest thing I witnessed happened a few days later when I saw small children playing in the same river we cleaned a few days earlier, because now I know just how filthy that water is.”  Photo drcr: 90-Garden Trash bags! Nelly Quiros, who works for the Ministry of the Environment and Energy (MINAE) as the administrator of the National Wildlife Refuge Langosta, Mixed category (RNVS Langosta, Mixto) and also a member of the committee, expressed the importance that environmental education will play in creating a consciousness about caring for the environment. She stated that “it is difficult to change the attitudes of our parents and grandparents, but that children are much more receptive to education and change. For this reason, it will take a long time to create a noticeable difference, maybe even a generation, but that we must start sooner than later. If we only addressed this problem with clean-ups, we would be cleaning the rivers and estuaries every week. We must create a change in the way we think about our environment and natural resources.” The clean-up occurred over a two day period in Santa Rosa and Tamarindo–Langosta with the help of volunteers from Coastal Spanish Institute, the Association of El Llanito and Damas Amigas of Las Baulas, and paid workers from the ASADA Santa Rosa, ABC Real Estate, RPM Services, and the Association of Santa Rosa. Trash was collected by the Municipality of Santa Cruz, who also donated trash bags. Trash receptacles were donated by Las Baulas National Marine Park and refreshments and lunch were provided by Blue Dolphin Catamarans and Ocean Eclipse. Importadora Monge and the Association of El Llanito donated trash bags and the ASADA Tamarindo donated t-shirts to the workers and volunteers. Other donations, such as trash bags, water, gloves, and organizational support were made by Tamarindo Preserve, the Tamarindo Preserve Conservancy and RNVS Langosta, Mixto. The Environmental and Cultural Committee would like to extend a huge thank you to all participants! The Environmental and Cultural Committee in the district of Tamarindo is a way to organize the leaders in the communities of Villarreal, Santa Rosa and El Lanito, with the support of the RNVS Langosta, Mixto, and the Tamarindo Preserve Conservancy, in order to address the principle environmental and cultural problems of the zone.  Photo drcr: Hauling it out the hard way Similarly, the flora and fauna of the area may be negatively affected. The district of Tamarindo has approximately 4,000 inhabitants and is located within Las Baulas National Marine Park. The actions of every person within the communities of the district have a direct impact on the fragile and unique ecosystem that comprises this area. The district is home to the largest tropical estuary in Central America, the Tamarindo estuary, and borders one of the last breeding grounds for the endangered Leatherback sea turtle. For these reasons, among others, it is imperative that we properly care for the rivers, streams, and estuaries that make their way into the ocean and actively participated in a long-overdue campaign to clean-up Costa Rica. Comments (0)
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