Light Hawk with volunteer pilot George & passengers Juan Pablo Aquero, Warren Umana, & Cristian Bogantes

By Marina Ocampo

Invited by the Titi Conservation Alliance, Light Hawk small plane and its volunteer pilot George came to help evaluate 8-years long reforestation project by taking areal photos of the region and note the gaps in the Rio Naranjo Biological Corridor.

This largest and oldest volunteer-based environmental aviation organization in North America is involved in thousands of missions each year in order to help environmental organizations in their work. Light Hawk plays a unique and critical role in the environmental movement. Providing perspective from the air, Light Hawk flights give passengers the chance to see for themselves the widespread effects of unsound environmental policies and practices.

Light Hawk is supported solely through generous contributions from foundations, corporations and individuals.

Light Hawk view of reforestation of the Rio Naranjo Biological Corridor

The Light Hawk mission in Manuel Antonio was a great success. The passengers, Juan Pablo Aguero from Titi Conservation Alliance, Warren Umana, Aguirre Municipality and Cristian Bogantes, MINAET, had a unique opportunity to see from the air the area they all work in. They took hundreds of photos, which will be geo-referenced with the help of the plane equipment, and shared with all organizations involved in the environmental protection.

We hope that the relationship with Light Hawk will continue in the future and that, thanks to their generosity, we will be able to see positive changes in the reforestation of the Pacific Central Coast.

For more information, or to learn how you or your business can become involved, please visit www.monotiti.org, or contact us at info@monotiti.org.

After nine years of work and almost 30,000 trees planted, the Naranjo River Biological Corridor project is coming to a new phase. This oldest project of the Titi Conservation Alliance is currently going through the process of formal acceptance in the system of biological corridors of Costa Rica and the Mezo-American Biological Corridor.

The main objective of the project is to create biological connectivity between the two most important wild areas of the Aguirre county – Manuel Antonio National Park and Cerro Nara Protected Area. This connectivity will allow movement of the wildlife, and especially isolated troups of Titi Monkeys. When small groups of animals are isolated, they are forced to interbreed and the small genetic pool leads to poor health and eventual extinction. It is particularly tragic when the species are rare or endemic (do not exist anywhere else in the world) such as titi monkeys (subspecies Saimiri Oerstedii Citrinellis).

The project consists of several components: growing of native plants in a tree nursery and their planting in the areas along the Rio Naranjo, environmental education of children of 8 local school, maintenance of four school nurseries where children participate in the full process of growing trees from seeds and planting them when they are ready, organizing ‘tree planting days’ for local businesses, children and visitors, and long term maintenance of planted trees. This work is done with full cooperation of about 20 owners of land around the Rio Naranjo.

Rio Naranjo Biological Corridor

There are between 20 and 28 species of trees used for this project, mostly native. They form part of the natural habitat of mono titis, but are also of great importance for the increase of biodiversity of the area, which is threatened by the African palm plantations and clearing of the land for agriculture.

For more information, or to learn how you or your business can become involved, please visit www.monotiti.org, or contact us at info@monotiti.org.

On December 1 Titi Conservation Alliance participated in the First Aguirre Environmental Meeting organized by the Aquirre Municipality’s Environmental Technical Unit. With the assistance of many businesses, local environmental organization and the Municipality, students of local schools and colleges took part in the march from Boca Vieja to the Nahomi Point. At this magnificent location the students presented plays, dances and dramatizations celebrating our fragile environment and precious resources. County officials and professors talked about the need to take care of our natural heritage. Several information stalls provided brochures and information on what the local organizations like Titi Conservation Alliance and ASOPROQUEPOS do and how everyone can be more environmentally conscientious.

Everybody had a great time and promised to make even bigger and better celebration next year.

Titi Conservation Alliance is local environmental organization focused on the conservation of endangered titi (squirrel) monkeys through sustainable tourism development, habitat restoration through reforestation and environmental education. The founders and members of the Alliance are local tourism business owners dedicated to the conservation and sustainable development of Costa Rican Central Pacific Region.

For more information, or to learn how you or your business can become involved, please visit www.monotiti.org, or contact us at info@monotiti.org.

One of the main focus areas of the work of the Titi Conservation Alliance is assistance to our members to introduce more sustainable practices in their work and, as a tangible proof of their commitment to the sustainable development, to get certified by the Costa Rica Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) Program.

The program evaluates four categories: The interaction between the company and its surrounding natural habitat, the management policies and the operational systems within the company and its infrastructure, the interaction of the company with its clients in terms of how much it allows and invites the client to be an active contributor to the company’s policies of sustainability, and the interaction of the company with the local communities and the population in general.

Once certified, hotels and tour operators can show to their clients the proof that their activities are really sustainable, that they can offer superior services and still take care of the environment and collaborate with the local organization and the community in the long term development.

Today’s savvy tourists do not fall for ‘green washing’, the practice many tourism businesses use to attract clients, by going for the superficial, cosmetic changes that hide the real damage their activities are doing to the environment and community. They need proof, and the CST certification offers just such a proof.

To find really sustainable hotels, tourists can now use a tool created by the Sustainable Tourism Certification Network of the Americas with the support of the Rainforest Alliance, called Go Green. This Guide, in the form of the world map, shows all businesses certified as sustainable. It can be accessed online at http://www.certificationnetwork.org/go_green/. We are proud to announce that our members Gaia Hotel and Reserve, Hotel El Parador, Si Como No Resort and Spa and Tulemar Bungalows and Villas, are all listed.

The Titi Conservation Alliance works to protect the endangered titi (squirrel) monkey through efforts focused on the conservation of the area surrounding Manuel Antonio National Park.

The Titi Conservation Alliance was started in 2001 by a group of local business owners within the tourist industry. Recognizing the need for conservation of their natural environment to maintain prosperity for their businesses, this group of entrepreneurs began the Alliance with the mission to promote sustainable development and to conserve the biodiversity of Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Region.

For more information, or to learn how you or your business can become involved, please visit www.monotiti.org, or contact us at info@monotiti.org.