Sarapiqui River

The Sarapiqui River is well

known for its whitewater rapids
and rafting. Rapids are areas of
shallow, fast-flowing water in a
stream. Different factors, either
alone or in combination can
affect the development of river
rapids. These include the
gradient (slope of the river,
obstructions (such as
boulders, constriction (how
wide or narrow the riverbed is
and the topograph!. The
topograph! of the riverbed
usuall! sta!s consistent, but
increases in flow (from flooding
or heav! rainfall, for e"ample
can displace rocks and
boulders, causing loose
sediment and soil to be
released and deposited
elsewhere in the bed. This
process can also cause new
channels of water flow to form.
#osta
Rica
Stop 1: Monteverde Cloud
Forest
Stop 2: Childrens Eternal
Rain Forest
Stop 3: Arenal Volcano
Stop 4: Sarapiqui River
$hitewater rafting on the Sarapiqui
River. %rom&
http&''www.an!wherecostarica.com'des
tinations'sarapiqui
$ildlife
Throughout
#osta Rica
(aguar
#ane Toad
Three-Toed Sloth
Resplendent )uet*al
+ampire ,at
#apuchin -onke!
.eel-,illed
Toucan
/round 0nole
0ll images from&
http&''www.an!wherecostarica.com'attra
ctions'reserve'monteverde-cloud-forest
-onteverde
#loud %orest
The -onteverde #loud %orest is
a popular nature preserve
known for its rare flora, fauna
and climate. Trade winds from
the #aribbean Sea blow warm
air towards the mountains. The
slope of the mountains causes
this warm air to rise upwards
toward the cooler climate of
-onteverde. ,ecause cold air
holds less moisture, the e"cess
humidit! forms dew, fog and
clouds in the -onteverde %orest.
This advection fog covers the
cloud forest the ma1orit! of the
time, creating a unique biome
found in appro"imatel! 23 of
the world4s forests. Sadl!,
deforestation and climate
change threaten the livelihood of
these biological wonders.
0renal +olcano
The 0renal +olcano formed
appro"imatel! 5,666 !ears ago from the
now-e"tinct #hato +olcano. 7t is a
composite, or stratovolcano, built upon
successive la!ers of rock, ash and lava.
+olcanoes t!picall! form along the
margins of tectonic plates, especiall! in
subduction areas where oceanic plates
dive under continental plates. This leads
to intense heat that melts the rock,
forming magma, which rises into the
volcanic chamber and can eventuall!
erupt from its top. %rom 289: until (ul!
;626, the volcano was active, erupting
on an almost dail! basis. 0fter the initial
eruption in 289:, which destro!ed <
villages, the dail! eruptions became
much smaller and safer, allowing
tourists to observe the volcano from
close pro"imit!. Scientists believe
0renal will be active once again.
#hildren4s =ternal
Rain %orest
The -onteverde #loud %orest. %rom&
http&''www.monteverdeinfo.com'montever
de.htm
The #hildren4s =ternal Rain %orest.
%rom&
http&''www.monteverdeinfo.com'monte
verde-conservation-league'
0renal +olcano. %rom&
http&''www.arenal.net'arenal-volcano.htm
>ike man! of the nature preserves in
#osta Rica, the #hildren4s =ternal Rain
%orest provides a home for vast
ranges of plant and animal species.
The %orest includes epiph!tes, which
are plants that grow non-parasiticall!
on other plants, thriving on the
moisture and nutrients from the air
and heav! rainfall. The rainfall causes
little transpiration to occur, which is
the loss of water through a plant4s
leaves. Transpiration t!picall! occurs
when temperatures or sunlight
e"posure becomes too great and the
plant releases water. 7n rain forest
environments, the canop! provides
ample shade and plent! of rainwater
to meet the needs of the plants and
animals dwelling within the forest.
%ield Trip to #osta Rica
$e will be traveling to four unique stops on our field trip in #osta Rica. ?ur first stop is The -onteverde #loud %orest,
a beautiful cloud forest covered in fog. ?ur second stop, The #hildren4s =ternal Rain %orest, is filled with plants and
animals from thousands of species. ?ur ne"t stop is the most well known volcano in #osta Rica, 0renal. >astl!, we will
travel a bit further across the countr! to the Sarapiqui River, known for its wildlife as well as its whitewater rapids.
@ope !ou brought a bathing suitA
B