So who is that amazing young woman in the picture above? Her name is Maria Paula and she is a fourteen year old Costa Rican student who has been captivated by GIS, GPS and its uses in her community. She is the expert of her small tourist community in mapping the trash and is using that data to help figure out ways to solve that important environmental issue. When Maria Paula was just thirteen, she gave a stunning talk on this topic to 700 GIS professionals at the Latin American GIS Conference in the fall of 2011. Please view the short video for a glimpse of the slide show and amazing talk that Maria Paula presented.

So why does GISetc care about this story? As some of you may know, Roger and I are principals of GISetc and have been traveling to Uvita-Bahia Ballena, Costa Rica over the past three years. Roger, our friend Charlie and I have been providing training to community members in the use of geospatial technologies (Esri GIS desktop and online software, GPS, remote sensing) to solve community issues. GISetc has fallen in love with the residents of Bahia Ballena and the area and are so impressed by their hard work and dedication to the environment and to each other. In response to a request from the community, GISetc is pleased to announce the inauguration of a program entitled GEOPORT (Geospatial Educators Opportunities for Partnership, Outreach, Research, and Training).

We are all looking forward to providing lots of video, images and interesting blog content on this website so come back often. Will you also perhaps consider partnering with GEOPORT and the residents of Uvita-Bahia Ballena? It will be great fun and a perfect way to connect with an international community! The GEOPORTer project is funded primarily by donations. We have some great sponsorship appreciation gifts and the opportunity to interact with the Amy Work, the first GEOPORTer while she is deployed. No amount is too small. Please share this with your family and friends. GEOPORT is a project where everybody wins!

Anita & Roger Palmer GISetc

P.S. Oh yes, by the way, please LIKE GEOPORTers on Facebook and follow GEOPORTers on Twitter.

I arrived on time with my luggage in hand! A much different story from India. After arriving at the hotel our group met up at the local chicken restaurant, which was past Denny’s and the beyond the entrance to the Casino. After a good night of sleep, a hearty breakfast of stuffed tortillas, huevos (eggs), and fresh pineapple and papaya, Roger and Anita picked up our van, or small autobus. We then started off on our ride to Bahia Ballena, a trip that would be full of adventures.

It wasn’t long before we were heading North. We should have been heading West and Southwest. After about 40 minutes on driving, we turned around to head back to the airport, and then took the back roads through a few towns. Eventually we found the road we needed to travel down through the river valley and out to the Pacific. We eventually reached the Pacific Ocean and our first destination, a boat ride with Crocodile Man Tour.

What would a boat ride be to see crocodiles without someone getting in the water with them? Without an ounce of fear in his blood, our tour guide Jason kicked off his saddles and hopped into the muck and mud of the brackish water. With a few pieces of raw chicken, theses crocs had no reservations about getting closer to claim their treat, whether it was going to be man or chicken. Luckily the chickens won, or lost, deepening on whose side your on.

In addition to the crocodiles, there were a variety of birds, black and green iguanas, and some Jesus Christ lizards. On our way out of  Tarcoles during the afternoon rain, we passed a field of cows who were quite content.

After watching crocodiles eat, it was time for us to eat some food before we continued our drive to Bahia Ballena.

And I’m off! This time to Costa Rica. I’m traveling with Roger and Anita Palmer of GISetc for the initial trip of the GEOPORT program. During this trip, Roger and Anita will introduce me to the community they have been working with for the past 2 years. Bahia Ballena is a community of approximately 1,000 residents on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. During this time I will be working with a school and community membersof Bahia Ballena supporting them using GIS and GPS to examine local community issues. After this trip, I’ll head back down in August to continue working with the community for a month.

In an attempt to have a better understanding of Costa Rica and the community I will be living in, I found this list of interesting facts from Bahia Aventuras, one of the groups I will be working with.