TRIPtych: How Community Fosters Sustainability

Vanessa Chavez ’24 and Atchley plant a papaturro tree at a farm in Costa de Pajaros, Costa Rica.

Coming to Furman, I was clueless about what my future held, unable to imagine myself in a career or even to choose a major. That was until I was introduced to sustainability science, a discipline that has allowed me to develop my passion for both people and the environment simultaneously. Three years later, I was in Costa Rica sitting across the table from the professor who introduced me to the subject, Karen Allen, eating gallo pinto, a traditional breakfast of rice and beans, and planning our day of field research.

Maggie Atchley ’23 walks through a butterfly garden, holding butterflies and learning about their symbolism for different women’s and community organizations.

In Summer 2022, I traveled around the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica with Professor Allen and two other students learning about agroecology, a sustainable food movement that focuses on social justice and community well-being. We interviewed farmers and leaders of local organizations, helped with various projects, and hiked through the country’s beautiful and diverse tropical forests.

I learned many things, including the names of what feels like a billion plant species. My biggest takeaway, however, was the importance of community in fostering sustainability. Like the butterflies in the mariposario (butterfly garden), the community is undergoing a metamorphosis, building each other up through restoring the environment.

Though my involvement with this community was only temporary, I will never forget this experience, the kindness and hospitality that has been shown me and the beauty of a community committed to the ecosystem it inhabits.