Local girl scout hikes through Costa Rican Rainforest, discovers life lessons along the way

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- Mackenzie F. from The Woodlands was one of 22 Girl Scouts from across the nation selected to participate in a Girl Scout destinations program in Costa Rica where they hiked through lush rainforests and experienced the country’s oldest traditions from family homestays.

Mackenzie describes her course experience as one that challenged her both mentally and physically. “This amazing experience helped me learn to face fears,” she says.

Fourteen-year-old Mackenzie from the Girls Scouts of San Jacinto Council participated in Outward Bound Costa Rica’s Rainforest, River and Reef Destination, which is a unique course in the program that features a 7-day tropical rainforest trek and one-on-one time with traditional Costa Rican families.

Before reaching the family homestays, Mackenzie and her fellow Girl Scouts hiked and camped their way through untouched rainforest, seeing natural waterfalls and learning about the unique ecology from their Costa Rican instructors. The most difficult section, a 17-km stretch of terrain that the girls traversed, required them to support each other and use teamwork.

While in the homestays, the group practiced their Spanish skills with local families, who taught them about their traditions. During these lessons, the girls made homemade corn tortillas and learned the process of harvesting sugar cane into candy. To finish up this phase of their adventure, the group tested their tenacity by rappelling an 80-foot waterfall.

After a rich cultural experience, Mackenzie and her group headed to the famed Manuel Antonio beach, where they learned about the local wildlife at the national park. They finished up their course experience with a day of rafting class II and III whitewater rapids on the Pejibaye River, a canopy tour where they ziplined through the treetops, and a visit to the vibrant artisan market of San Jose.

The course also included a day of volunteering in a nature reserve located near the Outward Bound Costa Rica’s rainforest base, where they planted trees and maintained trails that will benefit the local community.

Since 2006, Outward Bound Costa Rica has been partnered with Girls Scout of the USA to offer unique and exciting Girl Scouts Destinations trips in Costa Rica and Panama. These trips provide young girls the opportunity to see the world, meet fellow Girl Scouts from across the nation, and challenge themselves through adventure in unfamiliar settings.

“Outward Bound Costa Rica programs, like the one Mackenzie participated in, create environments that allow for personal and leadership development through challenges, group effort and cross-cultural understanding,” explains Jim Rowe, Outward Bound Costa Rica’s Executive Director. Rowe adds, “In these adventures, students are constantly exposed to new experiences, languages and physical environments, which are difficult to replicate in the classroom.''

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