After the success of HELPCA’s donation model to provide fresh organic produce to + 200 Costa Ballena families in need since the COVID crisis, we are excited to announce a new partnership with Reserve CloudBridge to support our values and commitment to the community and its regeneration.
Some of you may know Ragna, one of our founding members, an avid environmentalist. Together with her partner Amiram they are starting to collect donations for forest protection in our region, in the Chirripó area. Chirripó National Park is recognised for its ecological wealth. The mountain was named "Chirripo," meaning "land of eternal waters", by Native Americans because there are many lakes and streams around the mountain.
Our selected donation partner: Reserva Cloudbridge All donations will go to Reserva Cloudbridge, a non-profit nature reserve that is managing a beautiful cloud forest in which wild Tapirs, Quetzals, Pumas and even Jaguars roam. The donations will help to continue to reforest former pasture land at the end of the San Gerardo de Rivas valley and support the research the NGO has been conducting for many years. While the donations will be primarily used for further tree plantings at low cost, the reserve has plans to expand the research station and repair the micro-hydro power plant. So with only 100USD of donations, 500 trees could be planted. With an additional 2.500USD the research facilities for researchers looking at the carbon storage in trees, analysis of soil samples, and many other studies about the beautiful cloud forest could be achieved. And if the donations reach a 6-digit USD threshold, maybe, yes maybe more land could be acquired and the area could be expanded further! So exciting. Ragna will keep you updated on the uses of the funds and further efforts put into raising them. Stay tuned!
Community regeneration The local community benefits in many ways.
Local jobs are created, important watersheds and habitats are protected and the reserve is linked to Parque National Chirripó and Los Quetzales to the North and the Amistad National Park to the south that connects all the way into Panama. The reserve, its stunning waterfalls and hikes are very popular with Ticos and foreigners alike, and Cloudbridge attracts many volunteers and international researchers. Some of you may have already been there!
The unique cloud forest foliage and epiphytes capture moisture from the air. It supports a high diversity of tropical trees, birds, insects and other flora and fauna. Through their impact on air, water and soil quality, flood control, climate patterns, and numerous known and unknown plant and animal species, cloud forests affect life surrounding them and around the planet.
Tropical forests capture large amounts of carbon dioxide and produce reflective clouds, thus they are especially good at cooling the planet. As you may know HELPCA aims at reducing its carbon footprint with mutualisation of resources to reduce transport from both supplying and ordering members.
If you have more questions about this partnership, reach out here: ragna@cycle-generation.com.
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About Cloudbridge Reserve: A dedicated couple has started 20 years ago to convert an area of 283 ha pasture and private land into pristine cloud forest. The non-profit reserve is situated between 1.550 and 2.600 meters above sea level. It is adjacent to the Chirripó National Park, which borders the Parque National Los Quetzales and the Chirripó National Park to the North as well as the Amistad National Park to the south that connects all the way into Panama. This is one of the largest connected protected areas in Latin America. The unique cloud forest foliage and epiphytes capture moisture from the air. It supports a high diversity of tropical trees, birds, insects and other flora and fauna. Through their impact on air, water and soil quality, flood control, climate patterns, and numerous known and unknown plant and animal species, cloud forests affect life surrounding them and around the planet. Jaguars, Tapirs, Capucin monkeys or the Quetzal attract local and foreign visitors alike with kilometers of hiking, waterfalls and quiet hideaway lodges! Research students and volunteers from around the world enjoy the work on site in the research station and taking care of the handful of casitas. In this cloud covered heaven on earth the donations could be used to foster reforestation efforts in manifold ways. www.cloudbridge.org
About Ragna and Amiram: The couple has donated and volunteered to tree planting and forest protection causes for almost two decades. Their previous tree donations have supported projects in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. They have planted and donated trees with Nobel Peace Price Laureate Wangari Maathai from Kenia, got their hands into the soil and donated several times to the Ruboni community in Uganda to reforest their community forest, cooperated at Shanty Town Schools with Food for Trees in South Africa, donated to a Philippines tree cause and helped their friends in Japan from TCC reforest at the Fukushima coast and many more.
Since January 2020 they live and work in tropical Ojochal, Costa Rica. Their children attend classes at the community centre LPE, that they love. They are veterans of the international renewable energy industry. When they don’t work they travel or campaign for the environment.
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