‘Think Green’ project kicks off in Santa Cruz: Goal is to plant 3,000 trees

Source: The Guancaste Journal, Week Jun3 - Jun9 2008, Vol. 3, Edition 139, www.journalcr.com

(Infocom) — The environmental campaign “Piensa Verde” (Think Green) will kick off this Thursday, June 5, at Reserva Privada El Zahino, located in Santa Cruz.

This campaign seeks to enhance the environment in the province by planting 3,000 trees to protect trees from erosion, create cleaner air, restore the local flora and fauna, improve connectivity between forested areas, protect water sources and beautify the region.

The effort will be conducted in collaboration with the Costa Rican Natural Reserves Network (RCRNP), which will provide through its associates land to plant the trees, thus guaranteeing their protection.

The 3,000 trees will be planted throughout Guanacaste starting this June, when the rainy season sets in the province, favoring their establishment. “We all know that Guanacaste’s ecosystems are well known for their natural riches and great beauty, but we are also aware that these ecosystems don’t escape pressures from external factors such as the tourism industry, which contribute to environmental deterioration in the region,” said a communication from transportation company Cielo Azul, one of the businesses involved in this effort.

The campaign organizer added that “we are strongly committed to helping the province of Guanacaste, as one of our bases with more than 40 collaborators is located there. Additionally, the provinces locale’s and attractions have positioned this province as the destination most visited by our clients.”

Regarding the technical aspects of the program, the initiative is supported by EARTH University, which along with RCRNP has provided technical assistance for the selection of species to plant, making sure that the chosen trees are native and adequate for reforestation processes.

In addition to Reserva Privada El Zahino, trees will be planted on the La Flor campus of EARTH University in Liberia.

“The planting of trees will be done by Cielo Azul collaborators in San Jose and Guanacaste, as we are also trying to raise awareness among our personnel about the importance of helping the environment,” Cielo Azul indicated. “With that goal in mind, the Think Green program has been complemented by our training program ‘It’s all about outstanding service,’ which involves presentations made by RCRNP associates on conservation-related topics.”