Even after our semester students depart, QERC remains an active place of learning—welcoming short-term courses that step into the cloud-forest “living laboratory” of San Gerardo de Dota to practice hands-on skills and deepen stewardship through attention, humility, and care for Creation.

This May, we hosted a new course at the station: Tropical Nature Media, taught by Professor Timmy Mooring of Montana State University. Over more than a week, Professor Mooring guided six students as they sought subject, meaning, and adventure across Costa Rica’s mountains and lowlands—including the valley QERC calls home.

From the moment they arrived, the class moved with purpose: testing cameras and lenses, capturing stills and video, and learning by doing. Their first evening took them into Alajuela—walking the city and photographing the plaza—followed by an early start the next day for their first Costa Rican breakfast and a visit to Volcán Poás National Park. With the crater lake steaming and long trails winding through the park, students found early opportunities to practice careful observation—photographing birds, plants, mushrooms, and one another.

By evening, the group reached San Gerardo de Dota and quickly settled into the rhythm of the valley. In the days that followed, their coursework unfolded through hikes, walks, and birdwatching, along with time learning local history alongside Julián Fernández Chacón. They also chose to explore on horseback with local guides, traveling roads and rivers and visiting area waterfalls—experiencing firsthand the landscapes that shape both the community and the work of conservation here.

Midway through the course, we traveled to one of QERC’s favorite lowland partners, CAPI, where the Annalena Mosimann and her husband once again extended generous hospitality—touring the grounds, sharing what they teach students, and describing how they protect the natural environment on the property. Alongside outstanding birding and night hikes filled with insects and frogs, the group also experienced the kind of welcome that forms people: communal meals, weathered rain, and joyful time with children through games like tag, hide-and-seek, and king of the castle.

To close the travel portion of the week, the class visited the coast at Hacienda Barú and Dominical, where students photographed a very different ecosystem, explored the market, and then returned to the valley. Their last full day at QERC included a long hike up Robles, with expansive views and primary forest above town. By the end, students were energized by what they had captured and grateful to feel connected to the center—even in a short stay.

To see what they created, explore the student portfolios from this class:

If you’re a partner interested in bringing a course, field module, or collaborative learning experience to QERC, we’d be glad to connect and explore what meaningful, place-based work could look like together.