Blogpost by Jonathan Navarro Picado, Healthy Rivers Program Coordinator

Children teach us new things every day and they are full of surprises; the only thing they need is a bit of motivation. 

The community of Alto Laguna in Osa, the only indigenous reserve on the Osa Peninsula, is full of forest, life, stunning sunsets and inspiring people. The students of the school in the community received a talk about the importance of the rivers. But more than teaching them, they taught us through art the understanding they have of this natural treasure and the community’s connection with water. 

Some children, like Yendry, teach us the importance of watersheds, in which small rivers contribute to a major river, one that reaches the sea. It is said that “rivers are the veins of our planet,” and she understands that very well. Our planet’s water is connected.

The children also represent what they have seen around them. Pastureland also plays a large role in the landscape in this region. But if Angie is able to plant trees around a river in her imagination, why not plant them in reality as well? If these trees are not there in a few years, then perhaps the river will not be either. 

Water flows, yes, of course, and life also flows. Jacqueline, teaches us how there is life in the rivers from the mountains to the sea. But there is something that we have not taken into account: as well as water and life, pollution also flows. It is a very common problem to pollute our rivers; if we pollute this river in the upper part, what is flowing is death. That is not what is in the mind of a school girl who has grown up surrounded by forest, so let’s each do our part to contribute a drop of water to help Jacqueline to keep Osa’s rivers healthy.