Abel to speak on Costa Rica research Feb. 15

Troy Abel, associate professor of Environmental Studies at Western Washington University, will present “Ecotopia’s Prism - Five Seasons in Costa Rica’s Ecology, Economy, and Culture” at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, Feb.15 in Communications Facility 110.

The event is free, open to the public and is part of Western’s Turning Points Faculty Speaker Series, which celebrates and shares the wealth of knowledge and talent on Western’s campus.

Drawing on his research collaborations over the past five years with Western students, faculty and Costa Rican’s conserving tropical rainforests, Abel will share his insights on ecological citizenship, political biogeography, and immersions in some of the most biologically intense places on the planet. He believes that while Costa Rica’s conservation of biodiversity began in their protected areas and national parks, it will be finished outside of them.