Awe, Science, and Hope

Lessons from the Monteverde Cloud Forest

💔➡️💚 From Eco-Grief to Earth Hope

In my last video post, I shared how I was feeling the pain of seeing the fires and climate changes—that eco-grief. The more we connect with nature, the more empathetic we become… and sometimes that means we feel the loss more deeply.

I was sharing that while I was at the airport, on my way to visit the place where I first discovered my love of forests...

Costa Rica.

I’ve been exploring this precious cloud forest of Costa Rica—walking slowly, taking it all in… what many call forest bathing.

I found myself connecting not only with the spirit of the forest… but also with some powerful truths about our planet. I want to share two that stayed with me.

[video desc: Summer is standing in front of a lush forest. Wearing glasses, hiking pants and tanktop. There’s different parts of the trails- cloudy/misty, verdant, mossy and all kinds of flora and fauna. Looking at the millipedes, sloth, bright purple flowers, and a slow panning shot of forest ecosystems]

🌎 1. Where Awareness Began

Cloud forests like Monteverde have played an important role in helping scientists understand species loss. This region became especially well-known when researchers began documenting the disappearance of species—most famously, the golden toad in the 1980s. That loss became one of the first widely recognized signals connecting climate change to extinction.

Places like this helped scientists—and the world—begin to understand what’s happening with biodiversity loss and why it matters.

And from that awareness came something important:a global movement toward conservation and preservation.

🌱 2. Restoration is Possible

About 40 years ago, much of the land surrounding Monteverde was used for cattle pasture and farming. What I’m walking through now—the lush, living forest—exists because people made a choice to restore it. Through conservation efforts and reforestation, this ecosystem has been allowed to regenerate.

And that leaves me in awe.

Because it shows that we, as humans, don’t just have the capacity to harm ecosystems—we also have the ability to restore them.

To heal them.

Some of the life growing here now… is as old as I am.

I lived here, in Costa Rica, for six months back in 2005. And during that time, I wandered mostly without hurry. Tico Time, they call it…It gave me patience. It taught me how to observe quietly.

I noticed that people here are not only happy—they are deeply connected, and compassionate toward the environment.

And returning here now… I’m reminded of all the things I forgot while staying busy in the U.S. I didn’t realize it then, but this place… it shaped me. This is where I learned yoga. Where I fell in love with community. Found my true identity. Got inspired about the concept of retreats. Where parts of me came alive that I didn’t even know existed yet.

[id: A panoramic view of mountains and clouds at sunset.]

🌎 Why Hope Matters

So much of climate messaging is rooted in fear—what we’re losing, what’s broken, what’s too late.

And while that awareness matters…it can also leave us feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, and powerless.

But places like Costa Rica offer a different story.

This country is known not only for its biodiversity, but also for its commitment to conservation, eco-tourism, and forest restoration.

It’s also home to one of the world’s Blue Zones—places where people live longer, healthier lives, often deeply connected to community and nature.

There are retreat centers here that center healing, presence, and reconnection.

And what I feel here… is a reminder to slow down.

To listen.To reconnect. Because the truth is—

We don’t just need awareness. We need relationship.

We need to remember that we are part of this Earth, not separate from it.

💚 A Different Narrative

What I’m witnessing here—in both the forest and the culture—is a shift from fear… to responsibility.

From disconnection… to relationship.

From harm… to restoration.

Because yes, humans have had a profound impact on this planet.

But we are also capable of healing it.

And that’s the story I want to tell more of.

Standing here, surrounded by mist, moss, and life…

I feel hope.

I hope this reminds you of our human ability to reconnect with nature—and to play a role in healing our planet, Earth.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/8afa77_ea710381647f49bab0ca1421249388a9/1080p/mp4/file.mp4