Over the course of 3 years, I spent my life living and

working in Central America; Two and a half years were spent

working as a sustainable agriculture and improved food

securities volunteer for the Peace Corps in Matagalpa,

Nicaragua, three months were spent working in the cacao

fields of Central America, learning about the growing process,

production phases and industry first-hand with people that

have dedicated their lives to growing and producing some of

the finest chocolate in the world, and finally, three months

were spent on the coasts of Costa Rica, working with a group of

marine biologist and conducting biological studies on nesting

sea turtles on the Caribbean coast and the migration routes of

marine mammals through the Pacific.

Although these three chapters may seem to be unconnected,

they are, in fact, all closing tied together in the assembly,

experimentation and construction of my thesis. I spent these

3