Self Sufficient Living… HMMMMMM…What is that? I am a US citizen who lives in the City of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania and although I’ve heard of self-sufficient living, I have never learned what it actually meant until now. Self-sufficient living means self reliance in learning to grow your own, make your own, sell your own and bake your own, for homesteading, urban homesteading or mini farms. 

 I’ve been in Costa Rica volunteering for Kids Saving the Rainforest the last 3 months and I have slowly started to understand what it is all about and how important it is to change our way of living so we can all be on this earth for years to come. 

My first exposure to being self-sufficient was at Finca Braman. There priority is to grow their own fruits and vegetables for the animals living at the Kids Saving the Rainforest Sanctuary and for their guest staying at Mono Azul and the Blue Banyan Inn. They currently have growing on their property mango trees, nance trees, lime trees, orange trees, guava trees, sugar cane, corn, pineapples and many more things to come like a tilapia farm. They have also started a compost pile and that is where they store any leftover food waste. 

Did you know that much of our household waste can be food for the garden and very valuable if we compost it, sustaining a cycle of production with little waste, incorporating ideas of permaculture and organics which also benefit the soil, and the plants you grow? 

Now I’m not going to preach to you on how to live your life because I myself may not go back to the states living a self sufficient life and I don’t know what is available here in Costa Rica for you to make any changes but now I will be more aware of what I buy, throw out, and what I can do to protect our environment. Self-sufficient living reduces our Carbon Footprint by making small changes in every area of our everyday life. 

Here are some ideas to get you started on self-sufficient living:

1) Buy appliances with the energetic seals like FIDE or the Energy Star; this will tell you how much energy is consumed while in use. 

2) Buy furniture made from certified wood that comes from forest plantations managed under international sustainability standards. 

3) Use compact fluorescent light bulbs, they provide the same amount of light as incandescent but they consume less energy. 

4) In order to improve air quality, have plants inside and outside of your house. Within the house, plants are capable of absorbing up to 87% of hazardous toxins present in the air.

 5) Use natural cleaning products without chemicals that may damage the environment. 

6) Paint your house with light colors both on the inside and outside. On the roof this color reflects the light and on the inside these colors off light. 

7) Make your own compost. 

Start a worm farm to enrich your soil and have rich vermicompost freely and cheaply by feeding the worms your kitchen scraps. 

9) Grow your own vegetables. This is the first step to self-sufficiency and self-reliant living. 

10) Raise some backyard chickens. You can raise bantams if you have a very small space, or you can have full sized chickens. You don’t need too many for a steady egg supply. If you get a good chicken breed for eggs a good lying hen will lay about 5 eggs a week – self-reliant living at its best with fresh organic eggs every day. 

So, if we all do at least one thing from this list we will all be on the right track of making our world a better place to live in. 

References:

http://www.self-sufficiency-guide.com/index.html

http://www.countryfarm-lifestyles.com/self-reliant-living.html

Compania Nacional De Fuerza Y Luz, S.A.

Some animals are happy to be pets, like cats, dogs and fish. Other animals want to live in the wild, like monkeys. My name is Nina and I’m a spider monkey. I started off happily in the wild. 

Life was great I would wake up in the morning to the “hooo doottt hooo doottt” of the Motmots. I would go for breakfast with my brother Manny or a swing with my sister Stella until one day I woke up to a different sound… 

Pop! Was that a hunter? I didn’t know but sure didn’t want to find out. I backed away when, Ahhhh! Suddenly I was in a net! I was scared and the next thing I knew everything went black.

Roar! I woke up in my tree to Jimmy the Jaguar’s noises…or so I thought. When I opened my eyes and looked around I was not in my tree and that was not Jimmy. I was in a colorful tent with other animals I did not know and I was not sitting in my tree, I was in a cage! This must be the circus I thought and trembled. 

The other animals whispered to me about how I would perform for people and do cool tricks, but I didn’t want to do cool tricks not for people who put me in a net and cage. So, when it was my turn to perform I did not.  

The people booed and I knew I was in trouble when a big guy ran up to me with an angry look on his face. I was scared but then someone from the audience came up screaming “Wait, I will take the monkey! I will pay you for her!” 

I was happy to be saved from the circus but I still wanted to be home. So, when I got to a new house I decided to make my new owners not want me. When they all went to sleep I began my plan. I peed on their rug, I tore their pretty blue curtain then I swung from it. It was like a vine on a tree, I finally felt at home and went to sleep. 

Ahhhh! I woke up to another new noise, it was my owner she was very upset. Then I remembered what I had done and I felt bad but it was too late. My owner chained me up in a cage in his backyard. 

Day in and day out I sat in that cage, I wanted to take back what I did and I wanted to go home. It seemed like I would be trapped forever until one day when I woke up to the loud voice of a different man who came out to my cage and was scolding my owner. I was worried, until I heard the click of my cage being opened. 

This new man took me to a place that looked a lot like home. There were trees like at home and a Jaguar like Jimmy, there were Motmots and things to swing from. Most surprisingly there were monkeys like me. He took me to a much bigger cage than the one from the circus or from my last owner’s backyard and he put me inside. Out came other spider monkeys, who told me that I was at a rescue center for wild animals. It could never be quite the same as home but I had a feeling I could like it here and that we could be friends.

This is one of 3 children’s stories written by the 16 year old Ellenburg Triplets.  Their 3 stories will become a a book to be sold by KSTR to teach children the importance of saving the rainforest.  The book will be available next year.  

So, just what does Carbon Footprint mean?  Carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide given out through the use of fossil fuels by a person on a daily basis.

Do you want to know how much carbon do you emit?  There are lots of websites on the internet to calculate your footprint, but the one listed below is one that seems to work easily. www.zerofootprintoffsets.com   (Please note that you have to say that you live in the US or Canada to get your calculations).

What does Carbon Neutral mean?

Carbon Neutral is when you neutralize your carbon impact, by reducing your use of carbon, and for what you can’t reduce and remains; you can offset your impact by planting trees or purchasing items to help the environment in amounts equal to what you are emitting.

Costa Rica is on the leading edge of all of this with hopes to be the first carbon neutral country in 2021 on its 200th Anniversary.  Companies are racing to become Carbon Neutral in Costa Rica and kudos to some who are already there, like Rainmaker and Kids Saving The Rainforest.  If you know of any others, please let us know.

What can we all do to become carbon neutral?  We can become carbon neutral by figuring out our carbon footprints and then by offsetting them by planting trees. How can you plant trees if you don’t have trees nor land to plant them on?  KSTR can plant the trees for you!  Not only will you feel good but you will make a difference in keeping the planet around longer!

In honor of Costa Rica’s trying to become carbon neutral by 2021, Kids Saving The Rainforest is offering a special on tree adoptions!  You can adopt trees for the special prices below:

1 for $20

2 for $30

5 for $50

10 for $75

100 for $500

If you want to adopt a tree or trees, stop by our store located adjacent to the Mono Azul Rainforest Restaurant and tell the store attendant that you want to adopt trees, or you can order online through Paypal by going to our website:  www.kidssavingtherainforest.org and going to our donation page.

Let’s all try to do our part to make it all happen and help save the planet! 

This is one of 3 children’s stories written by the 16 year old Ellenburg Triplets.  Their 3 stories will become a a book to be sold by KSTR to teach children the importance of saving the rainforest.  It will be available next year.  

There once was a monkey named Marcel. He lived in a beautiful rainforest filled with perky parrots and colorful flowers. Marcel was very happy here. He swung in the trees and ate fruit and bugs all day long. 

One, day big monsters made out of metal came to the rainforest and started cutting trees down. They made loud roars and scared Marcel and all his friends and family. The people driving the machines said, “We need these trees to make paper and all kinds of things.” 

So the monkeys let them stay, but the people started taking too much. Soon all the beautiful trees and flowers were gone! Marcel trembled in his tree while he tried to figure out what he could do. 

Marcel got all his friends together and they planned ways to get the people and the machines to leave them alone; he even got his friend Tally the Toucan to help. 

The monkeys swung down from their trees during the workers’ lunch break and threw fruit at them while Tally and the other toucans swooped down and stole their keys. 

The monkeys and toucans thought they won and were celebrating when the workers found extra keys and kept cutting! Their plan didn’t work! Marcel had to try something different. 

Some of Marcel’s monkey friends distracted the workers by playing with their pots and pans while Marcel stole all their lunch boxes and Tally popped all the tires! Marcel thought, “This one HAS to work!” But, the next day, the people were back cutting the trees down again. 

One day a little girl was hiking through the forest and she saw what was happening to the monkeys. She realized that people have to be careful about what they take from the rainforest, or it will all be gone before we know it. 

The little girl got her friends and family together and they wrote letters to the mayor, the governor and even the president! Then the government people got together and made rules that wouldn’t let people take so much anymore. 

Soon the rainforest was beautiful and happy again, and so was Marcel. But that little girl can’t keep the rainforest healthy without our help. It’s up to us to do our part to keep the rainforest plants and animals happy and safe.

The Petersons were very excited. They were going to Costa Rica! They had heard lots of fantastic things about the country, and they couldn’t wait to see the monkeys. “I wonder if they like bananas”, said Tommy, the youngest of the Petersons. “Of course they do” said Mr. Peterson. “ALL monkeys love bananas”.

And so the Petersons got on a plane, flew over to Costa Rica, and headed towards their resort. When they arrived, Hugo, the resort owner, happily showed them their house. It was a beautiful little home by the beach. Wildlife was everywhere, and they had a nice little balcony to watch the animals from. “This is wonderful!” They all said “I can’t wait to see the monkeys!”

Hugo, having experience with tourists, was a bit worried. “Just remember: don’t feed the monkeys. It’s bad for them.” Hugo glanced at his watch. “I don’t have time to say anything else, but all of the reasons can be found in this pamphlet.”

“Don’t worry” said Mrs. Peterson. “We understand. We won’t feed the monkeys.”

Days passed. The Petersons loved Costa Rica. They went white water rafting. They went zip lining. They did all sorts of things, but they had not yet seen a monkey. Then, one morning, suddenly, the monkeys came. They ran all over the balcony. They played on the hammock, played with each other. It was amazing. The Petersons loved them! That day it was Titi monkeys. The next day: Capuchins. It was monkey madness!

“How cute!” said Mrs. Peterson. “Look at them go!” said Mr. Peterson. “I wanna keep one!” said Tommy Peterson.

The Petersons all laughed. They were having a wonderful time. They talked about feeding them, but they quickly remembered what Hugo said. Still, though, they were so cute, and they DID look hungry.

One day, while Tommy Peterson and Mrs. Peterson were having fun on the beach, Mr. Peterson was alone at the house. He was sitting on the balcony when, suddenly, a troop of monkeys showed up. Mr. Peterson was so excited! He watched the monkeys as they searched for food and ate colorful fruits from the nearby trees, but one monkey wasn’t having quite as much luck. It ran around looking for food, but the other monkeys kept getting the food first. “Poor monkey” thought Mr. Peterson. It was so sad, and Mr. Peterson felt terrible. He had to do something.

So, Mr. Peterson rushed into the house, grabbed the biggest banana that he could find, and started to feed that poor, hungry monkey. As soon as they saw that giant banana, all of the other monkeys gathered around Mr. Peterson, hoping for a bite. “All of these monkeys look hungry!” thought Mr. Peterson. “I can’t let them starve!” So Mr. Peterson rushed into the house, grabbed all of the bananas that he could find, and started to feed all of the poor, hungry monkeys.

The next day, there were even more monkeys. This time, though, it was Mrs. Peterson that was alone on the balcony, eating a granola bar.  “They’re so cute!” thought Mrs. Peterson. Looking at the monkeys, she tore a piece off of her granola bar. “Just one little bite shouldn’t hurt…”

The monkeys were pretty smart. They decided to stay in the area near that balcony, watching and waiting. That next day, it was Tommy Peterson that was alone on the balcony, eating some cookies and a nice and juicy sandwich. He was enjoying himself, looking at all of the beautiful trees and the wonderful ocean view, when, out of nowhere, the monkeys attacked! They charged forward, and grabbed Tommy’s delicious cookies. Tommy was terrified! In fear, he held his sandwich to his face and tried to protect it from the monkeys. The monkeys immediately saw Tommy’s delicious sandwich and started attacking his face to try and get it. “Ow!” screamed Tommy. He dropped the sandwich and ran back into the house. Bleeding and screaming, he ran into his parents’ room. “The monkeys attacked me!” he screamed. At first, Mr. and Mrs. Peterson didn’t believe him. How could those cute and hungry monkeys hurt anyone? Then they saw the cuts all over Tommy’s face. So, they gathered some band aids and made Tommy a brand new sandwich.

The next day, all of the monkeys were gone. They were deep in the jungle, and they were all very, very sick. The Petersons were confused again. They didn’t understand why the monkeys had left them, and they felt a bit sick too. Then, out of the corner of his eyes, Tommy saw that pamphlet that Hugo had mentioned so long ago. He told his parents and, slowly, they all approached the pamphlet and began to read…

ELEVEN REASONS NOT TO FEED THE MONKEYS!!!

1.  MOST WILD MONKEYS DO NOT EAT BANANAS! EATING BANANAS CAN MAKE THE MONKEY SICK!
2. MONKEYS THAT ARE USED TO BEING FED WILL NOT WANT TO SEARCH FOR THEIR OWN FOOD! THEY WILL ONLY WANT HUMAN FOOD AND WILL NOT SEARCH FOR THEMSELVES.
3. A PREGNANT MONKEY THAT EATS TOO MANY BANANAS WILL GET SICK AND WON’T HAVE A HEALTHY BABY!
4.  EVEN THOUGH THEY DO NOT HURT YOU, THE GERMS ON YOUR HANDS CAN HURT THE MONKEYS AND GET THEM VERY SICK.
5. THE MONKEY’S GERMS CAN GET YOU SICK, TOO!
6. TO STAY HEALTHY, A MONKEY NEEDS TO TRAVEL AT LEAST 10 MILES A DAY, BUT IF A MONKEY KNOWS THAT YOU WILL FEED IT, IT WILL STAY NEARBY AND NOT GET THE EXCERSIZE THAT IT NEEDS!
7. SOME MONKEYS WILL STAY IN HUMAN TOWNS OR CITIES TO BE FED. THESE MONKEYS OFTEN GET ATTACKED BY DOGS OR HIT BY CARS!
8. WILD MONKEYS ARE NOT USED TO BEING FED. FEEDING CONFUSES THE MONKEYS AND MESSES WITH THEIR DAILY ROUTINE.
9. FEEDING THE MONKEYS JUST A LITTLE BIT OR ONLY SOMETIMES IS BAD, TOO. MONKEYS THAT ARE ONLY SOMETIMES FED BECOME AGGRESSIVE AND WILL ATTACK PEOPLE OR OTHER ANIMALS TO GET HUMAN FOOD.
10. IT’S EASIER FOR ILLEGAL PET TRADERS AND POACHERS (MONKEY KILLERS) TO TRAP AND CAPTURE A MONKEY THAT IS ALREADY USED TO HUMANS!
11. THE LAW OF THE WILDLIFE STATES THAT IT IS PROHIBITED TO FEED WILD ANIMALS, THE ONLY EXCEPTION BEING A DIRE EMERGENCY WHERE A SPECIES WOULD PERISH WITHOUT FOOD.

The Petersons were very upset. They had really enjoyed feeding the monkeys, but they had not realized just how bad what they did was. The next day, they were all eating breakfast outside when a monkey showed up. The Petersons were so happy and they knew what they needed to do. Immediately, the Petersons brought their food inside. Then they went back out and watched the cute monkey run all over their balcony. The monkey played on the Petersons’ hammock and looked at his reflection inside the telescope that was on the balcony. The Petersons were not going to make a precious monkey get sick ever again.

Pablo Porras-Peñaranda

By Julia Paltseva

Kids Saving the Rainforest is proud to present the newest member of its permanent staff – Pablo Porras-Peñaranda. Pablo, a biologist by training, will now serve as the Volunteer Coordinator. KSTR is a local non-profit organization based in Manuel Antonio whose goal is to preserve and educate about the rainforest and its many animals. As the organization’s popularity and mission has grown, the number of interested volunteers has increased.

Pablo is a welcome addition to run the volunteer program. He is a native of Heredia, Costa Rica and received his Bachelors degree in Tropical Biology from Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica. While juggling his Coordinator duties, Pablo is concurrently enrolled in a Masters program in Conservation Medicine in San Jose, so he must travel there every weekend. Pablo heard about KSTR through a classmate, María Pía Martín, the KSTR veterinarian. One of the main reasons that drew him to the organization was the prospect of environmental education. Pablo brings a unique perspective to the program with his vision for the future that involves conservation work that mixes ecosystems, involving both animal and human health and well-being.

As one of the first volunteers under Pablo’s guidance, I can vouch for his passion for biology. It is clear that Pablo wants to help humans and animals coexist and is dedicated to KSTR’s causes of rescuing and rehabilitating wild creatures. He explains that he used to want to be a medicine doctor, but after numerous educational and volunteer experiences that include sea turtle conservation and research, bat conservation and research, wildlife rescue, and alternative energy research, Pablo realized that he needs to be outdoors and research animals.

Pablo is a highly qualified individual for the duties of a Volunteer Coordinator in the educational sense. His background in avian research and sustainability projects makes him a good fit for working with an organization so dedicated to helping animals, yet the personal side of Pablo is even more appealing. As a leader, Pablo is very approachable and attentive to his volunteers’ needs. He is quick to answer any questions and alleviate concerns before they arise. Pablo’s mentality of wanting to explore the whole world and develop future young leaders is exactly the open mindset that KSTR values. We are glad to have him on board.

Janine & Aislin, 9 years old

We are very proud of KSTR’s co-founders, Janine Licare and Aislin Livingstone.  They have both just graduated from two very prestigious colleges, Janine from Stanford in California and Aislin from McGill in Montreal.  Congratulations to you both!  Janine starts right away with a two-year program, Teach For America, teaching elementary school children (with English as a second language) in East Los Angeles.  Janine will concurrently be getting a Master’s Degree in Education at Loyola Marymount University.  We are thrilled that she will be able to teach these kids about the rainforest, it’s destruction, and then empower them to save it!


Aislin is currently doing her internship on sustainable agriculture in New Brunswick, Canada. After that they send her to her placement in either Cuba, Costa Rica, or Honduras and she will be assisting community- based projects working on biodiversity restoration.  Way to go ladies!!

Janine and Aislin were both raised in Manuel Antonio and saw the rainforest destruction first hand.  The area became very popular and more and more people wanted to build.  When they were just 9 years old they set up a roadside stand and sold items they made.  At first they used the money to buy chicken and pickles at Pickles Deli but then wanted to do something to save the rainforest with their money.  So they raised $80, which Janine’s mother matched, and they donated the money to buy 4 acres in the heart of the rainforest of Montezuma that would never be developed.

Being very excited by what they had done, Janine’s mother agreed to drive them to Montezuma to see the land they had bought.  Once they arrived they looked up the organization that they had donated the money to, only to be told that they had no way of knowing if the money had been used for administrative costs or even where it had been used!

They were young, still only 9 years old, and very sad.  On the way back in the car Janine’s mom gave them a solution.  They could start their own organization and make sure that every dollar donated would be accounted for.  So they started KSTR by adopting trees out to people and planting them where there needed to be reforestation.  They have kept track of every tree since then, and know where they all are, so if anyone wants to see their tree, they can go to the location of the planted trees to see it.

After that they managed to get a loan and purchased 5 acres of rainforest in the middle of the rainforest in Manuel Antonio.  They sold each meter for a $1 to pay back the loan.  The piece of land was finally paid off last year!

They also had help from a group to find locations of where monkeys were being electrocuted or hit by cars, and through the years have successfully placed 130 bridges across the roads to help. KSTR now has a professional monkey bridge team that goes out monthly to fix bridges, put up new ones and monitor all of the bridges.  They also have monthly meetings with ICE to coordinate where branches need to be cut back from the live wires and to discuss any new electrocutions.  ICE sends out their cherry picker to help when needed.  Since this program was started 10 years ago, the Endangered Titi Monkeys population has more than doubled!

KSTR now has a wildlife rescue center with a full time wildlife vet and 2 helpers, last year they took in 120 animals for 26 species, with an incredible release rate of 55%!

KSTR also has a Wildlife Sanctuary for wildlife that can never be released, with over 30 monkeys.

The girls’ roadside stand has turned into a large Souvenir Store with 100% of the proceeds going to save the rainforest!  It is located in the Hotel Mono Azul.

Janine and Aislin also created the first public library in the area and it is still open today with more than 2500 books located right behind the KTR Store.

KSTR has a kid’s camp that meets for special events, like when the US Ambassador came to the area and wanted to meet with KSTR.

There are sister projects all over the world and chapters in other areas as well.

There is quite a lot to be proud of when it comes to these two girls who just turned 22!  We wish them both the best and can’t wait for them to come back and take over the projects as adults!

Kinkajous (Potos flavus) and in Spanish “Martillas”, are medium size mammals (40-55cms long, weighing 2-3kg), brownish colored from the Procyonid family. This means they are nocturnal, live in pairs or by themselves and are arboreal and terrestrial; just like raccoons (Procyon lotor) and coatis (Nasua narica). However, they have unique characteristics that make them very special in the rainforest. For example: although they are categorized as carnivores, they do not eat meat. Their diet is basically fruits, flowers, and rarely they will eat a bird’s egg or an insect. They have a 5 inch tongue that helps them get nectar from flowers making them pollinators. Their ankles and wrists can rotate more than most mammals helping them climb up and down trees and walk in branches easily. They also have a long prehensile tail that can wrap itself around a branch and hold on to most of the animal’s weight so it can hang and reach for a fruit in a lower branch.

They are endangered due to the loss of their habitat (deforestation, forest fragmentation, civilization), they were hunted for food in the past and also to use their coat as the bristles in paintbrushes. They are also caught and sold in the pet trade. Here in Manuel Antonio, kinkajous are common but difficult to observe since they only come out at night and stay mainly in the trees. Their main threats are electrocutions, being hit by cars, and attacks by dogs.

Last year we received a very small, furry animal with a huge head; small eyes and long tail. It was a newborn kinkajou found by a woman in Parrita who was walking towards her house and spotted him on the ground by himself. She gave him to MINAET and they brought him to us.

Raising a kinkajou is definitely an extraordinary situation. At first we had to syringe feed him formula with probiotics, and he slept all day and all night. As he was growing we changed to a bottle and started introducing fruits and veggies, and put him into a playpen with stuffed animals, branches, ropes, and live trees.

Now, that he feeds on his own, is very active at night, and he is starting to search for his independence, we are beginning to do a soft release. Every night, the animal caretaker and me, open his cage and let him come out. He follows us into the jungle, just like he would follow his mom. We are training him to explore the world, search for his food using his sense of smell, hide from predators or unknown noises and get away from people. We are letting him climb up very tall trees and develop strong muscles in his hind legs, forearms, and tail so that he will feel secure moving in the canopy of the trees. Every time he achieves a little challenge we give him a prize, a small piece of grape or really sweet mango. It is difficult since we have to do it at night and we are always looking out for snakes and also afraid that he might run away before he is ready and that we will not be able to catch him.

But for the time being, he is still used to us so he is not leaving yet; but when the time comes and he knows how to find food, shelter, and company, he will leave and follow his instinct. We just need to prepare him well to survive and reproduce in the rainforest, just as he was meant to be; free and happy.

White face monkeys are very intelligent new world monkeys. They are omnivores who eat fruits, veggies, insects, eggs, lizards and almost anything that moves. In the wild they are always in the canopy and travel during the morning and afternoon in troops of 7 or more individuals. They are very active, curious, and playful all the time. Their big eyes, pink nose, stand up position and fingers make them very similar to people. Many humans get confused and think that this cute animal will become fabulous and funny pets. However they can’t be more wrong.

White face monkeys need other monkeys to properly play, exercise, communicate, and to have normal behavioral development. They need to move at least 20 km per day to forage and hunt for food, but also to exercise. They travel extensively eating bugs and maintaining a balance in the insect population as well as dispersing seeds throughout the rainforest to get other trees to germinate and grow.

When they are in a captive environment, very few people can give them all the elements they need to be physically and mentally healthy. They then get sick and stressed, becoming aggressive and dangerous. That’s when the “owner” decides they don’t want them anymore but now it’s too late to release them to the wild. These monkeys become imprinted and depend on people for feeding and taking care of them.

MINAET brought us 3 monkeys from 3 places in Costa Rica with the same story. Our goal then was to introduce them to each other, let them learn how to interact and communicate with each other. This is a slow process that takes many months. Fortunately, it has been very successful, the trio gets along perfectly! The leader is the female, she is the oldest and most dominant. Then we have a juvenile male and a young male. The youngest is often observing what the bigger guys are doing, so he learns and imitates them. For example, if we present a new food he will not touch it until the older ones do. The bigger ones will, on the other hand, be extra caring for the young one. They all play together, groom each other, and if a threat is observed (like another monkey passing by) – they react and defend their territory together; they have become a troop.

Since the troop is now ready, we are finishing a common cage for them. It’s a huge cage with live trees, dead branches, ropes, reused materials like tires, swings, places to hide, places to sun-bathe and hammocks under the shade. The diet is a balanced and varied food plan of fruits, veggies, carbs, and proteins placed in bowls but also hidden and hanging to stimulate the foraging behavior.

Our two objectives are:

1. Give them the best quality of life they can have in captivity since they can’t be released

2. Teach people about this species, their story, and their significance in the rainforest.

Soon we will be transferring them to this new cage and you will be able to see them by taking the KSTR morning or afternoon tour. Email us to piadvm@kstr.org or jennifer@kstr.org for more information.

Have you ever wondered what Kids Saving the Rainforest does? Well, now is your chance to find out:

• We have a MINAET licensed Wildlife Rescue Center in the heart of ManuelAntonio with over 4 acres of land, 11 cages, and housing for our vet and rehabber. Last year KSTR rescued and rehabilitated 116 animals and released 50% of them. The average in other center worldwide is 33% so we are very pleased with the success rate.

• KSTR has built 130 monkey bridges since 2001 to prevent monkeys from being hit by cars and/or electrocuted. In 2001 there were only 1200 titi monkeys, of this sub-species, left in the world, all located in our area. The monkeys were being electrocuted by live wires and hit by cars. Since its inception there are now approximately 3500 titi monkeys in our area!! The monkeys are key to tourism in our area.

• KSTR has planted over 6500 trees to help ensure the survival of the Titi Monkey. KSTR plants trees where needed.

• KSTR started the first public library in the area. It has been open to the public for 8 years. There are over 2500 books and most are in English. Everyone is welcome to come and sign out a book.

• More than 300 kids have passed through our Kids Camp where they learn about the rainforest and go on field trips to help save the rainforest.

• KSTR has sister projects around the world and has worked with students from 22 different countries.

• KSTR has a souvenir store to raise funds for all of our projects. 100% of the proceeds go to save the rainforest.

• KSTR offers two tours open to the public, one teaching people about the rainforest, its destruction, and empowering them to help save it no matter where they live. This tour includes a visit to the Wildlife Sanctuary and the Organic Farm. The other tour is a short tour at our Wildlife Sanctuary where people can see the animals being fed from 8:30 AM until 9 AM daily. All of our sanctuary animals have been declared unable to be released by MINAET due to injuries or because of being poached and raised in captivity.

If you have any questions or want more information, please contact us at janine@kstr.org