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Working With Nature

1 Sloth Conservation Primary Sloth Conservation Secondary

Working With Nature

Natural rhythms

Many people are drawn to Costa Rica for its “Pura Vida” lifestyle (literally translating as ‘Pure Life’); a motto that reminds people to stop and enjoy the richness of life, to take the time to sit down and savor a cup of coffee over a late-afternoon conversation. This way of being is a welcome respite for many from the fast-paced world of cities, deadlines and digital work lives.

Sloths are masters of the ‘Pura Vida’ lifestyle.

Our world is driven by many rhythms and cycles, natural and otherwise; moderated by the exchange of gases, measured by the sequestration of carbon, and punctuated by the ping of notifications. In this age of information, it is often challenging enough to maintain a healthy personal rhythm let alone live in harmony with the pace of natural processes. Sloths remind us to slow down. But more importantly, they show us – having survived for millions of years on Earth – that there are many ways to live on this planet.

Don’t worry, don’t hurry. There are many benefits to slowing down and connecting with nature.

Taking a leaf out of the sloth’s book

Here at SloCo we have taken this to heart. While we have no intention of slowing down or reducing our efforts to conserve sloths in the wild, we aim to work in a way that draws strength from nature instead of working against it.
So what does this mean for us? It means using bicycles as our main form of transportation, composting our organic materials and using the rich soil to grow native trees. It means doing our very best to understand and respect our local ecosystem and appreciate how our environment filters our water, purifies our air, moderates the temperature, and provides us with a variety of local foods (including chocolate!) among many other things!

SloCo agronomist Pato uses his bike to transport young trees for planting.

Our greatest collective challenge of the 21st century is adapting our modern world so that it is more in tune with the ecological processes and connections upon which we all depend. By working and living in ways that align with and are adapted to the local environment, we include nature as part of the team and develop a personal stake in protecting it.

What are some of the services that your local ecosystem provides? If you were to give a gift to your local environment, what would it be?

–Katra Laidlaw

Sloth Conservation Primary Sloth Conservation Secondary

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