Ceibas y Almendros

CEIBAS y ALMENDROS

We invite you to be part of our
tropical rainforest conservation project.

@ General aspects of the project
@ Natural attractions
@ Facilities
@ Shares, credit terms and payment methods
@ Sustainable projects

***Latest News (July 2010) ***

VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL

Would you like to...
* ...be co-owner of a private natural reserve with an impressive tropical primary forest of 78 hectares in Costa Rica?
* ...contribute to the conservation of the natural habitat of the Great Green Macaw and the Almendro Trees?
* ...have the life-long possibility of taking a vacation in your own property with eco-cabins which you can hand down to your children, nieces, nephews, or other relatives?

If your answer to one or more of those questions is YES, we invite you to become a part of the conservation project Ceibas y Almendros.


Scarlet macaws (Ara macao) are rare in Sarapiquí, but they inhabit our reserve.	Centennial Almendro tree (Dipteryx panamensis) in one of the reserve's trails.	Great Green Macaws (Ara ambiguus) are endangered. They live and nest in Ceibas y Almendros.

@ General aspects of the project
CEIBAS Y ALMENDROS is an environmental conservation project for your enjoyment. This private natural reserve is a property of 87 hectares (215 acres) in the plains of Sarapiquí (in the Heredia province, Costa Rica) containing 78 hectares (193 acres) of primary/old-growth forest and 9 hectares of pasture. In that area hundreds of types of trees can be found, the most prominent ones being the enormous Ceiba (kapok) and Almendro trees. You can take delight in walking along the trails, observing Great Green Macaws, Scarlet Macaws, poison dart frogs, sloths, and many other wildlife species. Also, you can navigate the property's clean and calm rivers.

The property: general data

Size: 87 hectares (215 acres) (with 9 hectares of pasture, the rest is primary/old-growth forest).
Topography: undulating, few slopes.
Access: using the Braulio Carrillo freeway until arrival at Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí (1 hour and 30 minutes from San José), then using a country road (1 additional hour).
Map location: map "Chaparrón" in La Unión del Distrito La Virgen del Cantón de Sarapiquí, Heredia.
Seismic faults in the region: The zone is one of the safest of the country in terms of risks of earthquakes since there are no faults there. It is NOT related to the region in which the earthquake of Cinchona-Vara Blanca occurred (on January 8th; this affected the Valle Central most severely). The Sarapiquí river is located 7 km ( 4.5 miles) from the estate, therefore there is no risk of floods.
Biological and ecological importance: In recent years the population of Great Green and Scarlet Macaws diminished severely. Ceibas y Almendros is home to these birds, as well as to other endangered species. The Great Green Macaw feeds on the fruits of the Almendro tree which is abundant in our natural reserve. In periods in which the Almendro tree does not grow fruits, those birds can feed on the fruits of the Titor tree. Furthermore, the land protects important springs (part of an unique wetland system), water being an increasingly valuable resource.
PES: The land is under the national Payment Scheme for Environmental Services (PSA, in Spanish), which gives it the right to receive 2 million colones every year. The estate does not have to pay property taxes.
Registration: The land is properly registered with the Registro Público de Costa Rica. The topographic map was made in 1999.


Trail - boundary of the property, ideal for mountain bike.	Visitors hiking on a trail through Ceibas y Almendros' forest.	One of the wetlands within the property.

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@ Natural attractions

Forest trails: The natural reserve has nearly 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) of trails in the forest.
Aquatic trails: There are canoeing trails and kayak trails for aquatic exploration in the forest interior.
Sports: The land is ideal for hikers, cyclists and everyone who likes to exercise and be in contact with nature, because the topography is undulating and there is virtually no traffic in the road.
Nearby attractions: Sarapiquí and Toro Rivers, Colpachí Lagoon, and Tambor and La Marina Lagoons, among others. It's possible to travel to the beautiful Tortuguero and Barra del Colorado by boat.

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@ Facilities
I. Eco-cabins
The property will have beautiful rustic cabins for the partners. The price of the share includes the cost of the cabins which will have:
•    Living room, dining room, terrace.
•    Private spaces: bedrooms, bathroom.
•    Furniture: beds, mattresses, chairs and others.

***Update: The construction of the first ecolodge is going very well. Please check out our Latest News section. ***


"Olla de mono". Fruit of Lecithys ampla, one of the endangered tree species that grow in Ceibas y Almendros.	The strawberry poison dart frog is one of the many amphibian species that inhabit our forest.	More than 300 species of resident and migratory birds find food and shelter in Ceibas y Almendros.

II. Multipurpose platforms
There will be two platforms with mezzanine bedrooms. The platforms will be suitable for camping, yoga, meditation, cooking and sharing. Each one will have two composting bathrooms and one first aid kit.

Maintenance
Facilities maintenance will be covered with:
1. Payment received for Environmental Services (the property is already under this scheme).
2. Payment received by partners and tourists for the use of the facilities. The fee will be very low, so that it does not become a burden for the investors.

Since this is a conservation project, it will be able to request international funds for specific sustainable projects in the land. If funds are required for additional maintenance or improvements, the investors will decide on further contributions which will be kept low.

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@ Shares, credit terms and payment methods

Price of the shares: The price of each share is only 2,400.000 Costa Rican colones. Each person/organization can buy minimum one share and maximum 20 shares.
Discounts: We will give 10% discount starting from the second share.
Credit terms: It is possible to reserve one share with US$ 1,000). Please ask us for other credit terms.
Payment methods: We accept bank wires, local cheques, paypal and credit cards via www.2checkout.com's superb secure connection.

The corporation
Ceibas y Almendros M.R.W.is a corporation registered by Costa Rican law under Registro Público. It was created recently only for the purchase of this forest property. Each investor will have full voting rights in the meetings of the General Board of investors, since each investor is a co-owner of the property. Currently, internationally renown conservationists belong to Ceibas y Almendros.

We will sign an agreement for the assignment of shares with each investor/partner.

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@ Sustainable projects
Besides renting the cabins for tourists when they are empty, each investor/partner will be able to develop ecotourism projects or other sustainable green projects, i.e. butterfly farms, organic agriculture, clean renewable electricity generation and others.

*** Latest News (July 2010) ***
* The pastures are being reforested with native species such as gavilán (Pentaclethra macroloba), fruta dorada (Virola koschnyi), caobilla (Carapa guianensis) and sotacaballo (Zygia longifolia).
* Construction of the first ecolodge is going very well. The architecture, building and construction of the ecolodge are environmentally friendly and ideal for Sarapiqui's climate.

Small tree emerging from the land at the reforestation site, Ceibas y Almendros Biological Reserve.

Resistant material obtained from fallen trees from our reserve has been used in the construction of the first ecolodge.

The ecolodge will be ready for use soon. The roof was designed with local architecture in mind. This design maximizes natural ventilation.

View of the ecolodge within the reforestation area. The beautiful tropical rainforest is seen in the background.

For more information, document request or buying shares, please contact us first:

• Eng. Paulina Mata. Phone number: (506) 8358-8969

• Biol. Ana Victoria Wo Ching. Phone number: (506) 8840-8567

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For donations to our project, please click the button. Thank you very much!

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