Without sustainability, Böëna Wilderness Lodges would not exist in this shape and form. Since our foundation, our objective has been to contribute to the conservation of some of the most biodiverse places on the planet for the enjoyment and wonder of generations to come.

The children of today will be the adults of tomorrow. It’s important for the future of our planet to cultivate in our young ones an interest in our relationship with nature and shedding light as to what sustainability encompasses.

For more than 2 decades, our staff has provided environmental education to children of school-age boys and girls in nearby communities.

Back to school!

Resuming environmental education classes has been a slow but constant process. From 2019 (the last year that the groups worked, prior to Covid) through 2022, many school principals have changed, Costa Rica’s educational system has had its challenges, and health safety continues to be a sensitive issue at schools. However, we took on the challenge of resuming the classes in the communities near our lodges, during the weeks with less occupancy.

• We started on October 6, 2022 with the Pacuare Lodge Environmental Education Committee at the school of the indigenous group in Tsiobata, with 10 children between 8 and 12 years old. We then visited the Santa Marta School with 11 children on October 31 and on November 8, 2022, our staff visited El Bajo del Tigre School with 9 children. This is the closest community from Pacuare Lodge.


• On October 25th the Carbonera School welcomed the Lapa Ríos team, with 18 children from first to sixth grade, continuing with El Bambú School, with 22 children on October 31st. Frank Chávez, a naturalist guide at Lapa Ríos, enjoyed teaching and giving tools to the students at Piro School on October 27 on how to enjoy bird watching. 


• On October 26, the Monteverde Lodge & Gardens team visited La Lindora School, with 6 primary school children, and we worked on improving the school's collection center of recyclable materials. We were also able to donate a compost center for this small school, and they will start composting very soon with our support and training.


• Finally, on December 8th Tortuga Lodge team experienced the environmental education session in La Laguna School with 16 students from the local area in San San Francisco, from 4th to 6th grade.




What we share with students

At each school our staff teaches about natural resources, waste separation process, the importance of biodiversity in Costa Rica, and how to take care of the fauna that inhabit the surroundings of each community. There are activities with each class so that students can have fun while learning, plus we bring snacks to share with them.

We, the staff from each lodge, are the ones who learned the most from these experiences. At the end of each session, all the children and adults committed to working together to care for and improve our environments!

By teaching young ones about sustainability now, you can prepare them for the future. You set them up to be conscientious and eco-minded individuals later on. Throughout their life, they’ll make a positive difference in the world.