Introduction:
Unlike Bruce Chatwin, author of the famous ‘In Patagonia’, I didn't travel to South America last year inspired by a piece of brontosaurus skin. I very nearly visited Costa Rica, Central America, as I felt I needed a nature good news story and witness for myself what government and community-led regeneration and reforestation success looks like (1). However, the Costa Rica story is very different from situation faced by most of the planet. For most, it is one of the daily and increasing challenges presented by climate change and biodiversity loss.
I would like to say I chose Patagonia, but it chose me back in 2009 when I first glimpsed the Black Glacier near Bariloche and the condors launching from the mountains tops and soaring overhead. The region of Patagonia covers both southern Argentina and Chile for a mere 1,060,600 sq. km. It is approximately 3,000 km in length (it's the pointy bit directing you to Antarctica) and it has everything from mountains (Andes), oceans, fjords that rival Norway’s, rain & temperate forests, glaciers, deserts and vast amounts of flora and fauna….and much more. It is a region on the front line of climate and biodiversity loss, suffering from most of the plights of humanity and nature, and I felt it would provide me with a broader and more vivid perspective of our planet's challenges.
What to expect from this blog and a taster of the Space2Evolve:
This blog is intended to provide insight into environmental challenges which we are all going to face in one way or another, but more importantly link in with the young people from the communities I visited (and many more across the globe), and give them a voice through our Space2Evolve programme (with help from sponsors, guides, and fellow travellers you will meet during the blog). You will also be introduced to the incredible organisations giving back to nature to try and rebalance humanities impact. You will also meet the inspirational photographers, filmmakers and other artists sharing their love for the natural world. (We will have our young aspiring talents interviewing them where possible).
Did I mention I cycled it? :)
I will be adding in other random blogs and information to appease my ADHD and alter ego's at a later date.
All photos are property of Space2Evolve (unless stated) using a second-life Sony A7c donated by www.MPB.com or a second-life Google Pixel 6 phone running Graphene operating system. I will go into the kit I took and what worked later in our ethical consumerism blog.
Costa Rica is not a done deal with ambitious projects still ongoing https://www.edenproject.com/new-edens/eden-project-costa-rica and facing other challenges to sustain this success https://www.independent.co.uk/news/costa-rica-ap-psa-world-bank-cordoba-b2295728.html
