This past weekend all our work was finished — final papers, final presentations, and the exam. Cue a sigh of relief. Judging by all the unique research projects, it was clear we learned a lot this month. I really enjoyed interacting with people at Las Cruces and those in the surrounding community, learning about their perspectives and wishes for the future of the region. Their passion and overall warmth was inspiring to all of us. In my studies here, I rediscovered the importance of community in the context of conservation and saw firsthand how attuned the people are to the landscape. The staff at the station observe the changes in the forest and its inhabitants (and another pair in our group confirmed the presence of ocelot and puma!), and the locals nearby work to protect the streams, trees, and encourage the presence of birds on their farms. We learned about the obstacles people in and outside of the station face and contemplated ways their efforts can be merged to meet the needs of both nature and people. Outreach from the dedicated staff at the research station will prove to play an important role in connecting with the people of Coto Brus, from educating children to enhancing sustainable practices on the land. My partner and I hope to return to continue our research and delve deeper into these issues (meeting local livelihoods, connecting issues of health and environment, sharing knowledge between institutions, etc.). Hopefully, we can return to visit our ‘second family’ in Costa Rica, Roberto and Noemi, and of course everyone at Las Cruces!