STUDENTS WIN FREE TRIPS TO THE CHILDREN’S RAINFORESTIdealism seems out of style these days, but in a world so full of challenges there is nothing better than giving kids a chance to be part of real solutions. One practical way to empower your students is to give them an opportunity to protect tropical rainforests and the rich biodiversity that is in them. It isn’t a contrived school project. It is REAL and the results are REAL. Tropical deforestation has not gone away.For nearly 20 years children around the world have been very creative in earning and raising money to buy and protect land to be part of the Children’s Eternal Rain Forest or El Bosque Eterno de los Niños (BEN) . Any amount of donated money is always deeply appreciated by us and our colleagues in Costa Rica. We acknowledge every gift as promptly as possible and send a colorful certificate of appreciation to put up in the classroom. For three successsive years we offered Student Ambassadorships for a child from each of the three schools that raised the most money for the BEN. We are pleased to recognize the three student ambassadors and their winning schools who selected them. These students had free, weeklong trips to Costa Rica and the BEN/Children’s Eternal Rain Forest in the summer of 2005:

• Jordan Jaco, Principia Lower School, St. Louis, MO
• Chloe Larson, Little Red School House, New York City, NY
• Anneli Karlsen, Hockinson Intermediate, Brush Prairie, WA

The three Student Ambassadors in 2006 were:

• Dylan Sheets, Principia Lower School, St Louis, Missouri
• Ellen Terry, Nathan Eckstein Middle School, Seattle, Washington
• Madeline Petrie, Little Red School House, Greenwich Village, New York

Our third and final Student Ambassadors will enjoy a free trip July 2007:

• Principia Lower School, St. Louis, MO
• Katherine Phillips, Walk with Animals Home School Group, Scottsville, NY
• Elaine Gorom, J.E. Hinchcliffe Elementary, O’Fallon, IL

The Land Purchase and Protection 20th Anniversary Campaign helps to preserve and protect tropical biodiveristy and everyone can help. One of the most successful fundraising ideas has been been to sponsor a Read for the Rainforest Read-a-thon. Students get pledges ahead from family and friends, sometimes a penny a page or whatever is agreed upon. Then for one week the students read like crazy and keep a tally of the number of pages they have read as homework, in class and as free read time. At the end of the week, they collect the pledges and turn into their teacher. No product like magazines, or giftwrap or popcorn or candy bars has to be bought or kept track of. No money has to be given to a company who makes those products. All the money is donation to the forest. It works very well and the forest benefits.

To aid children, classes ( or any organization) in supporting our efforts, we have created colorful brochures and a CD Power Point presentation with script to help you and others better understand the challenges and expected results of our Land Purchase and Protection 20th Anniversary Campaign. Contact us info@mclus.org or call 314.878.8427 to request brochures, the CD presentation, and other information.

Land Purchase and Protection 20th Anniversary CampaignThe work begun by the Monteverde Conservation League to save the threatened forest and its magnificent biodiversity in the Tilaran Mountains in Costa Rica does need your help! The efforts of children and supporters from 44 countries in the 1980s and 1990s halted the destruction of a large expanse of irreplaceable tropical ecosystems. But more effort is required to foster greater safety for the unique organisms around Monteverde.Monteverde Conservation League U.S., Inc. is celebrating and supporting the upcoming 20th anniversary of the BEN in 2007 through its Land Purchase and Protection 20th Anniversary Campaign with a goal is to raise $1.5 million dollars by the end of 2007. It will:

• Purchase existing farms which are being offered for sale by their owners and are surrounded by or next to BEN
• Support the establishment of Pacific slope biological corridors through land purchase, conservation easements and collaborative efforts with local Monteverde organizations
• Establish an endowment fund for protecting acquired lands by setting aside 10% of all 20th Anniversary Campaign donations and grants
• Provide funds to offset annual expenses for protection, reforestation and other operational activities of the Monteverde Conservation League

Protecting Biodiversity

Quetzals fly from lush forest across barren cattle pastures where they are vulnerable to hawks and other predators.

The BEN is the largest private reserve (more than 22,000 hectares or 54,000 acres) in Central America, but its forests cannot protect migrating species throughout the entire year. Resplendent quetzals, three-wattled bellbirds, bats, hundreds of butterflies and other creatures become more vulnerable as they leave the protected forests of the BEN to migrate to isolated forest fragments at lower altitudes each year. These birds, mammals and insects are extremely important in dispersing seeds and pollinating many unique plants and trees which exist within those remaining patches of native vegetation. Entire ecological niches are quickly disappearing.

Several patches of farms, forests and degraded pastures must be purchased and/or protected through agreements in order that many plant and animal species can survive. The permanent protection of these additional parcels of land means that we need your help for purchase costs, survey and legal expenses, patrolling against poaching, reforestation, research, and environmental education activities for local school children and their families.

To purchase the lands will be more expensive than in the 1980s and 1990s. While some remote degraded pasture lands might be purchased for $400 or less an acre, land parcels near rapidly growing Santa Elena and vital to the bellbird population may cost over $15,000 an acre. The average cost of an acre is likely to exceed $1,000/acre (which includes legal and long-term protection expenses.)

But we will not be working alone to save these forest fragments. We are coordinating our efforts with Monteverde Conservation League, Monteverde Institute, Tropical Science Center(TSC), and Fundacion Conservacionista Costarricense(FCC) in recognizing the need to take action and to avoid competition in purchasing land and in raising funds. We have mutual concerns about these vital protection activities.

Dr. Carlos Guindon, Rafael Bolaños of TSC, Deb DeRosier of FCC collaborating on corridors.University students from the University of California Tropical Ecology classes also have started their own effort to reconnect an isolated forest patch on the Pacific slope. Continue to make future visits to this section of our website as more details of our Land Purchase and Protection 20th Anniversary Campaign unfold. MCLUS is a recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the United States. Contact us at 314.878.8427 or info@mclus.org for more information.Be a partner in protecting tropical forest by sending a tax-deductible contribution to:Monteverde Conservation League U.S. Inc
1128 Weidman Rd.
Town and Country, MO 63017-8445Or donate online through our online donation form