The Neotropic Foundation was established by a group of Costa Ricans concerned about the environmental situation of the country, and for widening the perspective of analysis and vision that is brewed with the participation of some non-governmental organizations in the work environment.
The Neotropic Foundation was born to provide solutions to the problems that hinder the attainment of sustainability within the buffer zones.
Two strategic actions were established from the beginning:
The field projects with the communities to achieve their integral development-sustainable. The applied research that supports the actions with the people and others of higher rank, at the national level. Since its establishment, the organization has specialized in the praxis of socio-environmental and economic development.
In addition, it is currently focused on new fields of thought and research as the Ecological Economy and Political Ecology, looking for the application of participatory processes for the resolution of Environmental Conflicts and the dissemination of concepts of advanced assessments as multicriteria evaluations, the valuation of environmental services and the Ecological Business Footprint. In compliance with their objectives through their Strategic Programs. The Foundation has carried out projects in the basin of the Tempisque River, in Guanacaste; in the Tortuguero plains, and in the South Zone of the country, in the areas adjacent to the National Parks of Corcovado and Piedras Blancas, as well as in the 'Grande de Tarcoles' high River basin. Recently, it has worked in the Protected Zones, influencing directly the water resource, and with special emphasis on the three areas where the organization has its Centers of Studies and Communal Empowerment: Osa Peninsula, Coyolito Atirro Turrialba.
Some Thematic projects are:
- Community-based Conservation of Wetlands
- Plans of Management
- Empowerment and Community Self-Management
- Environmental Education
- Valuation of Ecosystem Services
- Community-Based Rural Tourism
- Integrated management of forests
- Integrated management of farms
- Nursery and Reforestation
- Agro-foresty Country Houses
- Silvo-Pastoral Country Houses
- Ecological Footprint
- Rural Microempowering
- Municipal Strengthening.
- Production of educational material with environmental content.
- Socioenvironmental Resolution of Conflicts
- Incidence for the conservation of sensitive resources
- Counseling in Environmental Services