On Tuesday, June 9th, “Costa Rica, coast to coast,” a program on the environmental riches, varied landscape, and unique culture of this Central American country, will begin at 6 p.m. at the Henderson County Public Library auditorium.
The Henderson County Public Library is located at 301 N. Washington St., and the event is hosted by Hendersonville Sister Cities organization.
Presented by Allison Baker, a tour planner at Globe Treks Tours who has just returned from her third visit to Costa Rica, the program will include her photos and personal vignettes of the Latin American life and traditions. The program is open to the public at no charge.
Costa Rica is known for its progressive environmental policies. It was ranked fifth in the world and first among the Americas in the 2012 Environmental Performance Index and it was twice ranked the best performing country in the New Economics Foundation’s (NEF) Happy Planet Index, which measures environmental sustainability. In 2007, the Costa Rican government announced plans to become the first carbon-neutral country by 2021.
Baker’s presentation will touch on this and many other aspects of Costa Rican life, culture, and traditions. The country stretches between the Caribbean Sea on the east to the Pacific Ocean to the west. In between are tropical forests, mountains and 14 volcanoes, a number of which are active, popular beaches, and coffee, banana, and pineapple plantations. Nicaragua borders the north and Panama the south. Baker said she counts this as one of her favorite destinations in the world.
“Costa Rica has been called ‘the happiest country in the world’ and also the ‘Switzerland of Central America.’ A pioneer of ecotourism, the country draws visitors from around the world to its extensive national parks and protected areas,” Baker said. “Costa Ricans are proud of their country. I’ll share some of my favorite things about a visit to this rather small but astounding nation.”
Hendersonville Sister Cities is a nonprofit organization formed in 2007 to foster and celebrate international cooperation and understanding and local economic growth through education, exploration of other cultures, travel, and social interaction. Almuñécar, Spain, is Hendersonville’s Sister City. A second Sister City – Pallanza-Verbania, Italy – will be adopted later this year.
Hendersonville Sister Cities regularly hosts educational and cultural programs and international dinners. The organization is a member of Sister Cities International, a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network seeking stronger economic and cultural ties at the municipal level between U.S. and international communities.
For more information about Hendersonville Sister Cities, visit the website at www.hendersonvillesistercities.com. For more information about the program on Costa Rica, please contact Allen Mitchem, program coordinator, at 693-9072.