Costa Rica
Cloudforest Reserve
The Monteverde Institute (MVI) is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to advancing knowledge on the sustainable management of resources through innovative programs linking international study and community development.
All MVI programs incorporate an element of community service or participation which has enabled the Institute to support numerous local development initiatives over its 20 year lifespan including participation in the municipal planning commission and involvement in grassroots efforts around rural ecotourism, forest protection, water use and public health. The MVI is part of the Pacific Slope Trail Alliance that administers the nearby Pacific Slope Trail system.
Teaching
Cloudforest School
The CEC has an excellent volunteer/intern program that has been running for over a decade. The CEC has benefited tremendously from the energy, imagination and dedication of many interns and volunteers over the years.
Sea Turtle Monitoring
Asociación ANAI, a Costa Rican nonprofit organization, has pioneered some of the world's most successful and highly participatory community based development initativies in tropical zones. Since 1978, ANAI has worked hand in hand with the inhabitants of Costa Rica’s Talamanca region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and ‘Biodiversity Hotspot’. ANAI and its Talamancan partners have found ways to advance a sustainable development agenda in one of the most logistically and socially difficult areas of Central America.
Farming & Conservation Project
Finca La Bella means “the beautiful farm” in English, and it is truly beautiful. The forty-nine hectare (122 acres) cooperative farm is located in San Luis de Monteverde, Puntarenas, Costa Rica on the Pacific slope of the Cordillera de Tilarán. This is a steep, mountainous area where dairy farming is the principle agricultural activity and coffee is a secondary cash crop.
Organic Farming
Farms listed WWOOF Costa Rica are part of a world-wide effort to promote the concept of organic farming, sustainable agriculture and responsible consumer habits. As part of this effort, host farms offer WWOOF members the opportunity to learn by doing. Listed farms will host WWOOF members free of charge. As a guest in a WWOOF farm your learning experience is based on you participating in the daily chores of running the farm. In doing so, you can learn a variety of techniques employed by member farms including organic farming, Permaculture and Biodynamics. In addition to learning about organic farming, you can also learn about the local ecology and culture while getting to meet fun and interesting people.
