A group of businesses, local tourism companies and volunteers in and around the coffee town of San Ramón, northwest of the capital, have joined together to form the “Adopt a Tree, Save the Planet” campaign.
The nongovernmental campaign hopes to encourage tourists and others to make voluntary donations that will be used to plant trees at Cerros del Azahar, a cloud forest area biologically similar to the popular tourist destination of Monteverde in north-central Costa Rica.
As part of the campaign, the organization will hold a Cultural and Ecological Festival in San Ramón’s AlbertoManuelBrenesPark, named after the noted Costa Rican conservationist, on International Labor Day, May 1.
The campaign is about more than just planting trees.
“The objective of ‘Adopt a Tree, Save the Planet’ is not only reforestation but also education,” organizers said in a statement.
“Our kids need to understand that our planet is sick, very sick and we (human beings) are still hurting it.”
Children from area primary schools will be invited to participate in the project from April to June to help plant the trees and learn how to care for them. They will visit Cerros del Azahar to learn about its natural wonders and also enjoy picnics, traditional games and outdoor sports and activities.
A dollar account has been set up with Banco Nacional for donations; the account number is 020-600125-5. For more information, contact 2445-3842, 8832-0626 or info@azahartravel.co.cr.
