Economic Growth Costa Rica Project #14330

Santa Juana Community-Based Rural Tourism Program

by Corcovado Foundation

Santa Juana Community-Based Rural Tourism Program

Project Report | Mar 18, 2014
Creating awareness about our natural heritage

By Jim Damalas | General Manager Greentique Hotels

MINAE's officials at the meeting

The Santa Juana Rural Mountain Project; creating awareness among local communities about their natural heritage.

“Trees looked more red than green” that is what Don Efraen recalled, one of the first settlers in Santa Juana, about the macaws population in this area. Approximately 50 years ago this same corridor, Fila Chonta, had a healthy population of Macaws that completely disappeared primarily caused by hunters and smugglers of tropical birds.

The community of Santa Juana recently hosted representatives of the Ministry of Natural Resources (MINAE) to a meeting with their own members from the School, Water and Church committees interested in pursuing permission to release and care of several pairs of young Scarlet Macaws. The program will be managed by volunteers from the village itself and is a program under review by the Ara Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protect the Macaw populations in Costa Rica.

According to Jim Damalas, General Manager of Greentique Hotels, “Because of the continued revenues generated by the tours to Santa Juana, as well as the guest donations from Si Como No Resort in Manuel Antonio and additional donations received through the Corcovado Foundation and Globalgiving, the community has become very aware of the importance of protecting the many natural attractions that generate tourist revenues and donations for the community’s development.”

With an amazing 75% attendance of the community to this meeting with MINAE, it was one more example of the prevalent importance in conserving and enhancing the biodiversity of this part of the mountain corridor of Talamanca, and in return creating more benefits for their village, their families, and preserving also the heritage of Costa Rica.

Community Members

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Nov 14, 2013
Allan Jimenez and his Village of Santa Juana, Cost

By Jim Damalas and Alejandra Monge | Project Supporters

Allan's Family in Santa Juana

The Village of Santa Juana is a sleepy little town in the midst of the mountains of Aguirre overlooking the famous national park and beaches of Manuel Antonio, 30 km from the mountain ridge of Fila Chonta. A beautiful area, however Allan Jimenez started to contemplate the need of moving away to find a job. He needed to provide for his family and there was no work to be found in Santa Juana, he was only 19, living with his mother and brother. His father left to seek employment elsewhere when he was young.

The Rural Tourism Project started by Greentique Hotel was a life savior! This project has been the only source of employment in this area for a really long time. This was a great opportunity for Allan and other people in the community to avoid migrating in search of income to sustain their families. Unfortunately work is not the only need of this community: Water supply is limited, until a few years ago there was no electricity, roads are in bad condition, health treatments are scarce and the school has very limited supplies.

Having a job is a great motivation for Allan, his opportunity to stay with his family. Over the last 7 years Allan has become a local inspiration by his level of productivity and his positive spirit and comradeship with his fellow workers and the rest of his community. Allan recently became the proud father of healthy baby girl. He has been able to convey that growing pride of his new family, of his community, and the mission of the conservation program to hundreds of visitors.

Allan as the rest of his community dream with opportunities to improve their lives. They don’t want to leave their
families. They don’t want to add to the thousands of Costarricans that have had to migrate in order to support their
families. They don’t want their families disintegrated.

Funding for this project will impact their community in a great way. More supplies and desks for the school, a better more hygienic examination room for the doctors to treat patients, better tubing for the water system and more opportunities for their children. They dream to attract new families to their community, more population means new micro businesses, more government support and better schools. By donating through Globalgiving you will be helping this community to stay alive, unlike other nearby towns that have disappeared.

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