Issue date: 8/6/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Patrick Clayton Carillo, Costa Rica is known for its pristine beach where snorkeling is popular. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Patrick Clayton Konrad Sauter, former student, and daughter Elke Sauter, a senior environmental engineering major share a common passion for environmental responsibility. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Patrick Clayton Elke Sauter holds a bowl of Jocotes, a native fruit of Costa Rica. Native fruits and vegetables do not require the amount of pesticides and fungicides that imported species require. [Click to enlarge]

Senior environmental engineering major Elke Sauter grew up green long before the 21st century American marketing campaign stole the word "organic."

For years, developing countries have had to get creative when using natural resources and her native Costa Rica is no exception. For the Sauters, environmental responsibility has been a family tradition.

With a passion for nature and agriculture, Elke's father, Konrad Sauter, grew up in San Jose, Costa Rica, with a passion for the outdoors. Konrad, who has a bachelor's degree in agriculture engineering and a master's degree in food science and technology from Texas A&M University, said he remembers his first vegetable garden, growing chayote, an indigenous vegetable of Costa Rica.

"It's important to remember the fruits and vegetables that are indigenous to our lands, which require little or no fungicides and pesticides," Sauter said.

Stressing the importance of the use of indigenous plants, Sauter said he feels that people can reduce the amount of chemicals needed to protect, grow and harvest such crops.

"We need to pay attention to our forest, learning about the natural ecosystems and how they function as a whole," Sauter said. "Every day we throw away many forms of organic matter that can be used in compost, which can later be used as organic potting soil."

Like other Aggies in Costa Rica, Konrad wanted an avenue to share his experiences and education at Texas A&M with his country. He was involved in the forming of the Costa Rica Aggie Club. The club, like many around the world, works to bring Aggies together and join efforts to benefit their respective communities.

Texas A&M has many projects within Costa Rica, including the new Soltis Center for Research and Education in San Juan de San Isidro de Peñas Blancas, which was opened and dedicated on June 18. When faculty and staff from other campuses visit such projects, the club works to make sure the trips go smoothly. Beyond the social aspects of the club, the group wanted a way to give back to their communities.

As the club's president for about 10 years, Konrad, along with several members from the club, formed the foundation TAMU-Costa Rica. Working directly with the Aggie club, the foundation gave the group more tools for fundraising and community involvement.

Headed by Konrad, the first major project was a fully sustainable recycling separation project in the municipality of Escazu. The project began with education seminars in the area, educating the public on the importance of recycling.

Small steps, such as separating trash from recyclables, can produce great effects as environmental education of the general public continues to increase, he said.

Once opened, the program included a truck that collected the recyclables and a facility that could process and sell the raw materials for reuse. The facility, now fully sustainable and growing, created jobs that before were inexistent for local residents.

The project was made possible through a grant from the country of Holland and the profits of selling the raw materials. The final stage of the project, which is scheduled to take place within the next month, is the donation of the facility from the TAMU-Costa Rica Foundation to the local government.

Environmental responsibility is a global concern and Konrad has worked hard to stress its importance to his children. When it came time for his oldest daughter Elke to apply for college, she knew she wanted to carry on her family's respect for the environment.

After researching careers in geosciences and engineering, Elke wanted an applied science education that would allow her to work closely with the environmental issues the world faces today. Elke found the environmental engineering program at Texas A&M to be the perfect fit. The program is designed to develop engineers who "apply science and engineering principles to develop sustainable systems that protect human health and welfare and minimize the adverse effects of human activities on the environment."

As an environmental engineering student, Elke has enjoyed her studies, especially in the area of wastewater treatment. Eventually, Elke hopes to return to work in Costa Rica, helping to solve environmental issues her country and much of the world face.

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