In Great Appreciation . . .

All of us here at Campanario would like to express great appreciation to so many people all over the world who have contributed to the work at Campanario with equipment, art work, computer and engineering expertise, photos for this web site and other projects, and direct financial gifts, even for the original purchase of the property.  Because we’re still collecting names and need your help to identify other contributors, the list below is still not complete.  Please let us know of other people who should be included.  Here are the names of a few of our great friends and supporters (in no particular order):

• Dr. Robert Steeper
• Mrs. Lisa Gilpin
• Mr. David Church
• Mr. Robert Metke
• Dr. James Marden
• Dr. Juan Jose Pucci
• Mr. Mark Ziman
• Girl Scout Troop #45479 
• Mr. Martin Eiblmaier
• Ms. Kenna Manos
• Dr. Brian Kuhlman and family
• Mr. Rodriguez Exilus
• Mr. Francois Tilquin
• Ms. Chimene Doffenies
• Ms. Maria del Carmen Hernandez
• Dr. Carlos Calvo
• Dr. Jeff Carpenter
• Dr. Brian Grafton
• Kent State University
• Dr. Dale Utt
• Oklahoma Baptist University
• Mr. Robert Quarrey
• Dr. Jennie Neahring
• University of Costa Rica
• Prof. Glenn Dewey
• Minnesota Zoo
• Mr. William Brown
• Prof. Manuel Fallas
• Sayville High School
• Mr. Patrick Harmon
• Mr. Frank Douglas Zadroga
• Doug and Jeanne Aitken
• Ms. Susan Aitken
• Mr. Douglas Maynard Aitken
• Mr. David Zadroga

And, of course, many students and visitors who have donated school supplies and equipment, library books, paint, and materials for the San Josecito, Los Planes, Sierpe, and Guaymi schools.

Connecting with the outside world . . .

Proyecto Campanario maintains partnerships and affiliations with other organizations, many in different fields, but all of like minds.  A bit about each of them, together with links to their sites, is below.  We are continually building our partnerships, so please let us know with whom else we should be connected.

Costa Rica

	Boruca Indian Reserve:  A community based NGO, La Flor de Boruca, conserving the Brunca identity. www.boruca.org
	Butterfly Kingdom:  A hidden jewel of hundreds of butterflies without leaving San Jose and center for butterfly education. www.butterflykingdom.net
	CATUOSA:  A non-profit association of more than 70 small businesses in the Osa Peninsula area, most of which offer facilities for tourism emphasizing conservation and sustainable development. www.osacostarica.net
	CODECE:  A community based NGO, conserving the natural wealth of the hills of Escazú as well as its traditions and living culture. www.codececr.org
	Cooprena:  A consortium of nature-based sustainable community projects offering rural tourism.  www.turismoruralcr.com/
	La Gran Vista:  An integrated organic farm serving as a model for other farmers and students interested in environmentally friendly methods. www.lagranvista.com
	Mirador de Quetzales:  A family run lodge high in the Talamanca cloud forest, the habitat of the Resplendant Quetzal and many other birds. www.elmiradordequetzales.com, www.quetzalscostarica.com
	Pretoma:  An NGO protecting the ocean’s resources and saving turtles and sharks since 1997. www.pretoma.org
	Costa Rican Network of Natural Reserves:  An organization of private sector landowners who are protecting and managing lands they own which are in an unaltered and natural state.www.reservasnaturales.org
	Universal de Idiomas:  Spanish language school for learning fast and effectively, for staying with a Costa Rican host family, and for preparing for your stay in Costa Rica. www.universal-edu.com

International

	COTERC:  The Canadian Organization for Tropical Education and Rainforest Conservation works actively to protect tropical rainforests, and encourages research of the tropical Atlantic lowlands of Costa Rica, maintaining a field station near the town of Tortuguero. www.coterc.org
	Caldera Kayaks:  Caldera Kayaks offers low impact kayak touring of the lakes and rivers of California with trips south to Central America and the Osa Peninsula. www.calderakayak.com
	Organization of Biological Field Stations:  An association of more than 200 field stations and professionals worldwide concerned with field facilities for biological research and education. www.obfs.org

Schools and Universities

Bunker Hill Community College:  Through Bunker Hill’s enthusiastic professors, years of students have experienced Campanario’s rain forest.  www.bhcc-costarica.info

and Acting nationally...

The Costa Rican Network of Natural Reserves, founded in 1995, is an organization of private sector landowners who are protecting and managing whatever lands they own which are in a natural or an unaltered state.  The “Network” is comprised of farmers, educational organizations, NGOs, ecotourism operators, families and individuals who have left all or a portion of their lands in their natural state.

The “Network” continually encourages more and more landowners to make the commitment to protect their lands.  It is hoped that by forming an extensive network of biological corridors between one small reserve and the next throughout the country the "Network" will have substantially added to Costa Rica's already famed system of parks and protected areas.  To date there are over 200 members protecting natural areas which could total close to 5% of the area of Costa Rica.

The "Network" also serves as an advocacy group for its members.  Campanario sat on the Board of Directors for six years and continues to be an active member of the “Network”.

To learn more, see: http://www.reservasnaturales.org/

Acting locally...

 
Campanario has been helping our local schools for years.  Just north of the Campanario Biological Station is the small one-room elementary school for the few children in the area of San Josecito.  The school, with just one teacher, is located on the beach, has just a few materials, and was just connected to the national electrical grid sometime during 2015. 

Another project, inland from Campanario by at least a two hour hike, is the community school of Los Planes.  This is a slightly larger school with three classrooms and a pre-school program. 

On the other side of the Osa Peninsula lies the reserve of the Ngäbe (Guaymi) Indians.  The elementary school there has approximately 50 students in 2 small classrooms.  There is also a small lunch room, which is also used as a classroom, and a preschool room.  The Ngäbe community has no electricity and is a good 2-3 hour hike into the closest town.

Campanario and its visitors has supplied these three schools and others with much needed material: everything from maps to construction paper to chalk and notebooks.  Our most significant contribution has been to create rural libraries in these three schools for the children and their communities.  In addition, donations of many other books have gone to schools in the communities of Sierpe and Palmar Norte. 

We're now targeting reference books, perhaps even a children's encyclopedia and novels for the older students for all three schools.  Remember, in these fairly remote areas, we still use books, as computers and internet connections are scarce.  All book donations are most welcome, complete with large zippered plastic bags to take the books home!  Books should be in Spanish and appropriate for school children.

Additionally, students and teachers at Campanario periodically visit the schools to give talks about some area of interest, such as the benefits of bats, the protection of the beaches for turtle nesting, the need for recycling, and the continuing need for conservation of the forests.  And, with your help, we will continue to add to the libraries.

Click here for a brief chronology of Campanario’s activities.