By Sean Huggins
We all surround the nature of Costa Rica; we all listen to the birds chirping in the early hours of the morning, we all stop and stare at the whales far back in the ocean, and we all take pictures of the strange creatures crawling on the jungle floor. We find joy being exposed to the wildlife of Costa Rica, and many think this is our territory, when really we are just tourists in a forest full of animals.
Costa Rica is one of the most populated areas around, and by “populated” I mean by all the creatures, not the humans. For this reason, we should all take caution when throwing our trash away; animals don’t throw their garbage in our homes, so why do we throw it in theirs? They say 14 million animals die each year due to trash you “oh so easily” throw into the ocean. If animals were as cruel to us as we are to them, we would all die, every single one of us.
Admit it: We all take advantage of the wildlife, even if we don’t intend to. Costa Rica is a hot spot for people to get away from their daily lives and just enjoy themselves, but can we please enjoy ourselves without destroying the wonderful wildlife? It is beautiful, and not a lot of creatures live in other places like they do in Costa Rica. Why else would all the tourists stop on the side of the road to take a picture every time they see a monkey?
Sage Huggins is an eighth-grade U.S. student at La Paz Community School in Flamingo, on the northern Pacific coast.
Young Writers Submission Guidelines
The Tico Times welcomes submissions for the Young Writers column from writers 17 and younger. Submissions should be a maximum of 500 words and may be e-mailed to Weekend Editor Meg Yamamoto at myamamoto@ticotimes.net. Accompanying art or photos are welcome. Please include a brief bio indicating the writer’s age, nationality, school and place of residence.
