Tsiobata School
The Pacuare Lodge Environmental Education Committee began with a visit to the school serving the Indigenous community of Tsiobata.
10 children, ages 8 to 12, participated.
BÖËNA ARTICLE
Environmental Education Returns
Learning With the Communities Around Böëna
For more than two decades, Böëna team members have shared environmental knowledge with children in nearby communities. The return of these school visits marked more than the restart of a program — it renewed a long-term commitment to connect conservation with the people who will shape its future.
01 — Sustainability Begins With People
Conservation for the Generations to Come
Without sustainability, Böëna Lodges would not exist in its present shape and form. Since its foundation, the objective has been to contribute to the conservation of some of the most biodiverse places on the planet, preserving their wonder for future generations.
The children of today will be the adults of tomorrow. Helping young people understand nature, biodiversity and sustainability gives them the tools to make more thoughtful decisions throughout their lives.
For more than two decades, Böëna staff members have provided environmental education to school-age children in communities near the lodges.
Education as Long-Term Conservation
Protecting an ecosystem is not only about caring for forests, rivers or wildlife today. It also means helping the next generation understand why those places matter.
02 — Back to School
Restarting the Program, One Community at a Time
Resuming the environmental education classes was a slow but steady process. From 2019 — the last year the groups met before COVID-19 — through 2022, school leadership changed, Costa Rica’s education system faced new challenges and health protocols remained an important concern.
Even so, lodge teams accepted the challenge of restarting visits during periods of lower occupancy and reconnecting with schools in neighboring communities.
7
Schools visited during the restart
92
Children reached across the participating communities
4
Böëna lodge teams involved
20+
Years of environmental education
03 — Pacuare Lodge
Learning With Communities Near the River
Santa Marta School
The program continued with another nearby community school.
11 children joined the session.
El Bajo del Tigre School
The team visited the school in the community closest to Pacuare Lodge.
9 children participated.
04 — Lapa Rios
Nature Education in the Osa Peninsula
Carbonera School
The Lapa Rios team worked with students from first through sixth grade.
18 children attended.
El Bambú School
The program continued with one of the largest groups in the restart.
22 children participated.
Piro School
Naturalist guide Frank Chávez shared tools and ideas for discovering and enjoying birdwatching.
05 — Monteverde and Tortuguero
Practical Projects With Lasting Value
La Lindora School
The Monteverde Lodge & Gardens team worked with six primary school students to improve the school’s recyclable-material collection center.
The team also donated a composting center and committed to supporting the school with training as the program began.
La Laguna School
The Tortuga Lodge team held an environmental education session with students from the local community of San Francisco.
16 students from fourth through sixth grade participated.
06 — What Students Explore
Turning Environmental Ideas Into Everyday Actions
At every school, staff members adapt the activities to the local environment and the age of the students. Learning is interactive, practical and designed to be enjoyable.
Natural Resources
Understanding what communities depend on and why responsible use matters.
Waste Separation
Learning how to classify materials and reduce their environmental impact.
Biodiversity
Discovering the exceptional richness of Costa Rica’s ecosystems.
Local Wildlife
Exploring how to respect and care for the animals living near each community.
Learning Through Participation
Each class includes activities that allow students to have fun while learning, along with snacks shared by the group. The goal is not simply to deliver information, but to create a positive and memorable connection with nature.
07 — A Shared Learning Experience
The Teachers Learn, Too
Böëna team members often say they are the ones who learn the most from these visits. Every session creates space to listen, exchange ideas and better understand the environmental realities of neighboring communities.
Knowledge
Students gain practical concepts they can apply at home and at school.
Connection
Lodge teams strengthen relationships with the communities surrounding each destination.
Commitment
Children and adults leave each session with a shared promise to improve their environment.
By teaching children about sustainability today, we help prepare them for the future. These lessons can shape conscientious, environmentally minded adults who make a positive difference throughout their lives.
The Future of Conservation Is Already in the Classroom
Environmental education transforms sustainability from an abstract idea into something children can see, understand and practice in their own communities.
Every school visit is a small investment in a much larger future — one in which knowledge, responsibility and care for nature continue from one generation to the next.