Monteverde Institute

The Monteverde Institute sits atop a hill, founded in 1986 by a group of local Costa Rican and expatriate residents. The institute focuses on educating about sustainability, the economic, cultural, and environmental aspects, with a primary focusing on the Monteverde region. The Institute is considered a non-profit/public utility meaning that the organization uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals rather than distributing them as profits or dividends. The "public utility" aspect means that it maintains the infrastructure of a public service. 
At the institute, our group was introduced to the multiple definitions that make up the Monteverde region: political, Quaker village, economic zone, and biological are among a few of the defining characteristics. We were given a brief overview of the history of the region, giving us foundational knowledge in regards to how this area has developed overtime. The question that is raised was, was it sustainable development? The boom of tourism let to many great opportunities for Costa Ricans to start a career in the business. Despite the heavy influx of tourists, we learned at the Institute that many Costa Ricans were not initially familiar with the name "Monteverde" and it took a while for it to spread. 

With a better understanding of the area and how it has come to be, we then learned the specifics of the Monteverde Institute and how this organization is helping to preserve the culture and ecosystems of the area through study, research, and community. They partner and collaborate with over 30 universities, helping to establish research projects and service to the community through homestays. 

There are 3 main challenges that the Institute is focusing on:
Challenge #1: Cultural changes.
These include building and infrastructure growth as well as coping with the cost of living, as it has increased dramatically. 
Challenge #2: Pressure on local services. 
These challenges include garbage, water, water pollution, light, and noise pollution, and roads.  
Challenge #3: Land-use changes and deforestation in Costa Rica. 
The Institute has decided that Costa Rica must diversify its economy to promote sustainability. 
In order to tackle these problems, the Institute has created a "step system." The first step is to identify the problem. This can be complicated as many problems have a number of causes, yet the Monteverde Institute finds that the best way to get a true representation of the problem is to engage the community. The second step is research and data collection followed up by a presentation to the community. The last two steps go hand-in-hand: provide solutions (3) and implement solutions (4). This methodology has worked well for the Institute and stands as a great example in problem-solving. 

The Monteverde Institute clearly serves as a great educational tool that promotes and practices sustainability and conservation. There are a variety of other institutes, programs, and organizations that function in conjunction with the Monteverde Institute. For example, the Fundacion Conservacionista Costarricense (Costa Rica Conservation Fund), which was founded in 2002 by Costa Ricans and biologists, is to protect habitats on the Pacific side of the country, especially in the Monteverde region. The reason for their specific focus is because the forested land on the Pacific slope has been deforested and fragmented to such an extent that many species are within danger of disappearing. 
There is also the Adopt-a-Stream program where children get involved in reforestation and stream clean-up, helping to instill environmental stewardship at a young age. 

There is also partnership with a Community Health Program that uses research and interventions to increase the support of local, polyculture agriculture. 

Overall, the Monteverde Institute does a spectacular job of fulfilling its mission of "advancing sustainable living and the local and global level" by using place-based education, research, and collaborative community programs. It is also conveniently located next to the original dairy that was formed in Monteverde (the Monteverde Cheese Factory) and has delicious ice cream and cheeses!



To browse their website, explore more about what the institute does, or get in contact with the institute, visit : http://www.monteverde-institute.org/