Whether you’re a born tico or an adopted one, chances are good that you’ve heard or visited the INBIO Park. The National Biodiversity Institute of Costa Rica (INBIO) is an internationally renowned private research and management center supporting conservation and sustainable development projects.

Last month, for almost 9 consecutive days, a group of 8 INBIO experts and entomologists explored the surroundings of our Rio Naranjo Biological Corridor. Together with Titi Conservation Alliance team, the group placed traps and collected biodiversity data. Such information is being used to develop the first corridor’s formal ecological report.

Titi’s Conservation Alliance, members and the titis themselves are endlessly thankful to INBIO’s cooperation. And the great news is that final results are expected in October this year. Yes… we’ll keep you informed!

Additionally, leaded by a new director specialized in sustainable tourism, the alliance is now working on the creation of a local purchasing cooperative to help member businesses contribute to the empowerment of local people while improving their own economies of scale.

We are encouraging everyone to get involve in these efforts. Write to us about your tico artisan neighbor, local agricultural farms, regional artists… they will surely appreciate it. Or if you have a local-manufactured product for hotel/tourism supply, let’s meet!  Please send all information to director@monotiti.org.

For more information on Titi Conservation Alliance, please visit our website at www.monotiti.org, or contact us at info@monotiti.org at any time.

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.

At Titi Conservation Alliance, we are thankful to live in one of the only places on Earth where one can watch the playful titi (squirrel) monkeys bounding through the trees.  What a treat!

We are also endlessly thankful that this community, in which the titis call home, is also home to many caring citizens and businesses.  We give our thanks to our fantastic Member businesses that support us each and every month.

With their support, Titi Conservation Alliance is able to pay for 100% of our administrative costs.  This means that all other outside donations are directly funding our project areas in environmental education, habitat reforestation, and sustainable development.  This is something that is immensely important to us, as it assures that we are continually staying true to our Mission and purpose – to save the endangered titi monkey by promoting sustainable development and conserving the biodiversity of Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Region.

And this brings us back to our original reason for “Thanks” this holiday season – the adorable titi monkeys.

As the smallest and most playful primate in Costa Rica; it would be hard not to love these amazing creatures.  And with that love comes much respect; for they are limited in their habitat range, and yet have managed to maintain a small number of survivors (roughly 2,500 of all subspecies), despite threats from severe habitat loss and fragmentation.

It is our mission not only to help them maintain their small numbers, but to help them increase those numbers and remove them from the dangerous list of endangered species.  How lucky we are that we are in a position to help!

If you would like to be involved in these efforts, please contact us at any time.  There are so many things for which we give thanks this holiday season, and to be living in such a bio-diverse and beautiful environment is certainly on the top of the list.  Let’s continue to work together to keep it that way! Please contact us at any time (info@monotiti.org; www.monotiti.org; 2777-2306). We are here for the titis; and for the community.

Thank you!

A Special Note:  As 2009 comes to a close, Titi Conservation Alliance will transition into new Management.  I, Ingrid Kuegeman, current Director of the Alliance, have made the very difficult decision to pursue personal professional goals that require me to move back to the United States.  It has been an immense pleasure working with Titi Conservation Alliance, and I plan to continue my support of all the important work for conservation in this area long after my move back to the States.  I now welcome with warm regards, Marina Ocampo, new Director for Titi Conservation Alliance.  Marina comes to us with over 30 years of environmental sustainability experience, as well as the attitude, passion, and energy for continuing the Mission of Titi Conservation Alliance.  Please visit our website, www.monotiti.org, for a full account of Marina’s depth of experience.  Welcome to the community, Marina!

So what exactly does that mean we do on a daily basis?

I’m glad you asked.

In short, it means that our daily work is dynamic and varied, to say the least.  To give you a small taste of it all, here are some of the highlights of our work over the last month:

On Saturday, September 12, we held our 2^nd Annual Membership Reforestation Day.  With this activity, many Members and their employees, family, and friends, joined us for a fun day of planting trees along the Rio Naranjo Biological Corridor.  Hundreds of trees were planted, and our Members received a hands-on look at the important corridor they help make a reality.

With our Environmental Education Program, we have been teaching weekly environmental lessons with 4^th and 5^th grade students at Paquita School and Repulica de Corea.  Throughout the year, we reach students at eight local schools with these weekly lessons, rotating schools each trimester.   We are also working this month with North Central College from Illinois, providing visiting university students with presentations on Costa Rican ecology, conservation, and eco-tourism; as well as providing hands-on opportunities for the students to work in our Biological Corridor.

In other program focuses, we worked with Member business, Arenas Del Mar, to provide over 1 million colones worth of greatly needed donated materials to Paquita School.  We continue to work with the Chamber of Commerce towards improvements for Manuel Antonio National Park; we continue to welcome new Member businesses to our Titi Team; and to promote and implement the hotel donation program Common Cents with local businesses.

And believe it or not, I’m only beginning to scratch the surface of our project areas.  But I fear boredom will ensue if I continue on this way; and so, instead, I shall end with this thought – Through our work, we are dedicated to the betterment of our community through conservation and education efforts; both for the endangered titi monkeys and for our fellow community members and businesses.

But we cannot do this alone.  We value our Members greatly, and always welcome new participants to our work.

We are here for your comments, suggestions, ideas, feedback, and/or questions.  Please contact us at any time (info@monotiti.org; www.monotiti.org; 2777-2306). We are here for the titis; and for the community. Many thanks, Ingrid Kuegeman.

Mirrored after the wonderful “We Share” program started by Hotel Parador, Titi Conservation Alliance has developed a new donation program called Common Cents that brings a fantastic opportunity to all local hotels to give something back to the community.

What is it?

Common Cents provides an opportunity to contribute more support for local organizations like Titi Conservation Alliance, while also educating and informing customers of responsible business practices.

It is a program set up so that hotels act as the conduit for the donation, without costing them a penny.

How does it work?

• Hotels automatically add $1 (or any amount of their choice) for each nights’ stay to customers’ final bill, explaining that the addition is being donated to a local community organization(s).
• By placing information cards in each guest room, (which Titi Conservation Alliance gladly provides at a small cost), hotels quickly and easily explain what the organization does, and why their business supports the cause.
• If a customer does not want to have the addition added to their bill, it is easily removed at their request.

How hotel owners can implement this program

There are three basic elements to implementation:

1. Marketing within your hotel
2. Training your employees
3. Back-office programming

Titi Conservation Alliance will provide hotel owners with everything needed to carry out each of these steps. This is a program that can be easily started, communicated to customers, and is hugely beneficial to hotels, as well as the community as a whole.

Spread the word and help support local organizations…Contact Titi Conservation Alliance TODAY to discuss implementing the Common Cents program in your hotel.

Phone 2777-2306  or email at info@monotiti.org