Costa Rican Corporations Actively Participate in Conservation

In March 2007 OTS launched a new program, "Corporate Volunteers for OTS: an experience in the tropical ecosystems of Costa Rica," through the Development Office in Costa Rica.

The program focuses on Costa Rican corporations that wish to support conservation efforts and mitigation of theircarbon impact in a public manner through employee volunteering and financial support of OTS. The added value of this program is OTS' opportunity to provide environmental education to the employees and generating interest and awareness of the work being done at OTS stations.

Volunteer groups visit OTS stations to assist with the planting of native trees, which helps offset the carbon impact of their company.

The volunteer groups are also taught about the ecosystems of the humid tropical forest surrounding the Station. These activities have already generated more than $40,000 in support and, to date, approximately 4,000 trees have been planted by more than 1,300 volunteer participants. The companies that have already participated in this program are: HSBC, BAC Florida Bank, Group Nation, CEMEX, Florida Bebidas, British American Tobacco. The following companies are scheduled to participate in July: Pfizer, GlaxoSmithkline, IREX and Amanco.