Partner

ACBTC – Asociación Corredor Biológico Talamanca-Caribe

In the biological corridor in Talamanca-Caribe, Tropica Verde finances school projects through the local organization ACBTC. Important topics are dealt with here, such as the effects of climate change and the importance of protecting species-rich forests in the region. This work reaches both pupils and their parents from the region around the Reserva Finca Curré. The lecturers are supported by Tropica Verde, among others, for their environmental education work.

ECODESI – Educación y compromiso con el desarollo social integral

In the small village of Villareal near Tamarindo, Tropica Verde supports the “Colores de Identidad” project run by the local partner organization ECODESI. The main target groups for this project are senior citizens from the municipality of Villareal and schoolchildren from the region. The seniors are supported in learning and implementing important environmental measures (recycling, planting, etc.). At the same time, the older participants pass on their experience of traditional vegetable and fruit cultivation to the younger generation. In addition to numerous workshops and training courses, the activities in this project include setting up a tree nursery with local plants, reforestation, recycling, composting, campaigns for clean rivers, a seed bank with local seeds and much more.

Fundación Pro Reserva Forestal Monte Alto

In 1994, local farmers joined forces to improve local forest protection and create the jointly managed Monte Alto conservation zone to combat deforestation in the upper reaches of the Nosara River, a source of drinking water and well-being for residents of the small town of Hojancha in the central highlands of the Nicoya Peninsula. This 924-hectare area was created through the acquisition of land for natural regeneration or reforestation. A joint management agreement with the Costa Rican Ministry of the Environment ensures local participation in administrative decisions for the area.

ASOGUABO – Asociación Guardianes del Bosque

Aso.Gua.Bo is an organization that was founded in 2023 after years of meetings and constant organization of various stakeholders around the Finca Curré. It is dedicated to raising awareness of the value of natural resources and the respectful use and care of them. It promotes and supports measures that help the communities of the southern Caribbean of Costa Rica to establish settlements and economic activities in harmony with the wildlife, local ecosystems and cultural diversity of the region. It practices and promotes conservation, education, research, permaculture, ecological restoration, “Buen Vivir” and regenerative practices.

COASTS – Costa Rican Alliance for Sea Turtle Conservation & Science

COASTS Costa Rica is an organization that focuses on the protection and sustainable use of coastal and marine protected areas. It is committed to the conservation of biodiversity and promotes environmentally friendly practices to improve the quality of life of local communities. This includes educational programs, research projects and collaboration with various stakeholders to raise awareness of the importance of coastal and marine ecosystems. In 2020, COASTS launched a new monitoring and conservation project for sea turtles in Costa Rica in Gandoca-Manzanillo, after no coherent data collection had taken place since 2010. COASTS is also pursuing projects to restore habitats, remove plastic, reforest the mangrove forest and is involved in a citizen science project researching manatee populations in the Caribbean.

FUNDACIÓN CUENCAS DE LIMÓN

The Fundación Cuencas de Limón (FCL) in Costa Rica is committed to the protection and sustainable management of the water catchment areas of the Banano and Bananito rivers. Its aim is to safeguard the quality and quantity of water for present and future generations. It promotes reforestation projects, the preservation of biodiversity and the empowerment of local communities. The organization works to raise awareness of environmental issues, provide educational programs and support sustainable agricultural practices to improve the quality of life for people in the region and conserve natural resources. FCL has a long history of environmental education for children and adults. Through a campaign it reached 100,000 people and raised awareness of the importance of rivers and the need to reduce illegal deforestation of the rainforest. The organization visits local schools and invites them to tour its education center, hosts community eco-markets and recreational cycling events in the Bosque de Las Madres biological corridor, and works with Tropica Verde to teach environmental education techniques to teachers and other NGOs.

Ina Ramos – Goracao chocolate

“Goracao – Organic Chocolate Farming” is a small family business very close to the Reserva Finca Curré on the Costa Rican Caribbean coast. The owner Ina Ramos and her husband Guilio have made it their goal to combine organic cocoa cultivation with the protection of the rainforest in their Reserva. The “Tree to Bar” concept stands for the care, harvesting and processing of cocoa fruits through to chocolate on site – completely pesticide-free and in harmony with nature.

Yatama Rainforest Ecolodge

Yatama Lodge is only 500m away from our Reserva Kinkajou and is a 100% eco-lodge. The electricity, for example, is generated entirely from solar energy. The owner, Pedro Méndez Tam, has supported the work of Tropica Verde on a voluntary basis for many years and is an important partner of Reserva Kinkajou.

CCT – Centro Centífico Tropical

In Costa Rica, the CCT organization specializes in the development and conservation of biological corridors, among other things. Together with CCT, Tropica Verde has been working for over 20 years to conserve the greater soldier macaw by connecting forests. We have a long-standing, successful working relationship with the project manager there, Alexander Gonzales.

Aguilar Castillo Love – our legal partner in Costa Rica

As an environmental protection organization in Costa Rica, Tropica Verde needs a legal partner with a heart for the cause and ecological awareness. We have enjoyed a trusting relationship with senior partner John Aguilar Quesada for over 30 years. John advises us on all contractual formalities relating to nature conservation in Costa Rica.

BIOFRANKFURT

The Network for Biodiversity e.V.

BioFrankfurt was founded in 2004 as a network. In addition to Tropica Verde, 13 other institutions currently belong to the BioFrankfurt – Das Netzwerk für Biodiversität e.V. association. Together, we have set ourselves the goal of raising media and public awareness of the outstanding importance of biodiversity and its conservation. The aim is to pool the knowledge and experience of the individual institutions and achieve more efficient success through cooperation and the exchange of information. The special commitment to biodiversity in the Frankfurt region in the areas of research, protection and education should be positioned more strongly in the public eye.

Network “Learning sustainability in Frankfurt”

The “Learning sustainability in Frankfurt” network was set up to link educational stakeholders with civil society and companies. Umweltlernen in Frankfurt e.V. coordinates this on behalf of the city. In addition to Tropica Verde, other participants include the city education authority, the environmental agency, the BioFrankfurt network, various banks, companies and the Frankfurt Child Protection Association.

Development Policy Network Hessen e.V. (epn Hessen)

The Entwicklungspolitische Netzwerk Hessen e.V. (epn Hessen) is a joint action and communication platform of Hessian non-governmental organizations and networks, groups and initiatives committed to development policy as well as private sponsoring members. Globally, the member organizations support the goal of a world based on justice and reciprocity. epn Hessen and its member organizations stand for a world that strives for fair development and puts careful and sustainable management before profit maximization.

Hanau Environmental Center

The Environmental Center in Hanau supports school and non-school partners on their path to sustainability.

This requires an understanding of the natural, economic and social sciences. The ultimate goal is to strengthen the ability to act through educational processes in order to be able to make better decisions in one’s own living environment. In cooperation with the Hanau Environmental Center, Tropica Verde has developed the educational module on the topic of the “water cycle”. This is offered for elementary school and daycare centers.

FAUNITY PHOTOGRAPHY

Stefan Rother is the photographer behind Faunity Photography.

As a biologist and long-standing Tropica Verde member, he knows the Costa Rican rainforest inside out. It also offers live reports on the subject of “Biodiversity and the protection of rainforests”. The interrelationships are explained in an understandable way and children in particular are taught about the fascination of nature. Stefan’s pictures and reports are often produced in cooperation with Tropica Verde.

GREEN BOOTS

GREEN BOOTS is a young Swiss rainforest organization that supports local rainforest protection projects, brings the Swiss population closer to the rainforest ecosystem and its importance and is politically committed to more rainforest protection in Switzerland as well as in rainforest countries. The philosophy of GREEN BOOTS and Tropica Verde is very similar in that they protect the forests with close links to the local population and environmental education. Tropica Verde and GREEN BOOTS regularly organize joint environmental education events in Switzerland.

Don Roberto coffee

Don Roberto produces climate-friendly coffee from Costa Rica. Together with Don Roberto, we have launched a conservation edition of this delicious coffee. For every packet of Tropica Verde coffee sold, €2 is donated to projects to protect the Great Soldier Macaw.

Environmental Paper Network

The Environmental Paper Network (EPN) is a worldwide network of over 150 civil society organizations working together on the “Global Paper Vision”. This vision expresses our shared goal to bring about change in the pulp and paper industry and in society so that paper production and use contributes to a clean, healthy, just and sustainable future for all life on earth.

Rüm Hart Foundation of the Janssen family

The small Hamburg-based family foundation is committed to protecting the environment and animals. It is well known that natural habitats everywhere are under threat and in retreat. Climate change is also contributing to the threat to biodiversity. Their motivation is that we – the people living now – can still make a difference and save biodiversity. The Rüm Hart Foundation enables the Janssen family to develop and implement their own projects for environmental education and the protection of biodiversity. Rüm Hart is Frisian and means “wide heart”. At the same time, it is also a reference to the family’s home in northern Germany. Specifically, the foundation supports Tropica Verde’s environmental education in the Caribbean region.