December is always a great month here at Cloudbridge, with beautiful sunny afternoons, children on vacation and holiday festivities. It is a lovely time of year, and quite busy! At Cloudbridge the end of 2023 has prompted us to look back on all of the amazing things that we have accomplished over the past year, which we have summed up here in this brief annual report. Highlights include our educational outreach, primarily through our participant program, as well as by hosting specialty field courses and community activities, our collaboration with ongoing research in Chirripó National Park, and a comprehensive environmental education program in two local schools. In addition, we were able to contribute to a reforestation project in the neighboring valley of Los Angeles, which allows us to continue with our mission of planting trees even when the reserve itself has now been fully forested for some time now. We are happy to announce that the US-based non-profit organization that operates Cloudbridge, Cloud Forest Conservation Alliance, Inc., now has its own legal recognition and ID number in Costa Rica. Please remember that as a US-based non-profit, any donations made to Cloubridge through its parent organization are fully tax-deductible. No matter how large or small, any donation to Cloudbridge is greatly appreciated and will directly support our important environmental work, please support us!
December has seen an increase in visitors to the reserve, and we are glad to see so many people enjoying nature with their families. Given the many benefits accrued by spending time in nature, this month we partnered with Redish, a non-profit organization that provides support to people experiencing homelessness in Costa Rica, to receive some of their clients for a day-hike.
Participant Program
Hey, my name is Sarah and I’m a volunteer at Cloudbridge for two months. After the first 4 weeks I can happily say that the time I’ve spent here has been great. I’ve enjoyed going on walks in the morning or building flower beds and signs, spending my free time in the afternoon reading and meeting lots of new, inspiring people. Everyone has their own story and knowledge, and I learnt a lot about the cloudforest, especially during the researchers’ presentation.
Pics from around the reserve
Suggested Reading
- One of the participants in our recent GIS class, who has done significant cycling advocacy work in San José and now lives in Herradura de Rivas, was recently designated the «bike mayor» of San José by the Dutch organization Bycs.
- Euronews published a climate change in pictures recap of 2023, highlighting the extreme droughts and other challenges faced by communities around the world.
- Faced with such grim and historical data, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. This article has the potential to provide a more positive sense of wonder, as it highlights the mind-boggling abundance of life on earth, according to a recent study.
- At Cloudbridge we teach people to appreciate the wonderful services provided by mature trees and forests. This article about the American Chestnut is an interesting exploration about how we can adapt to the threats of our connected world.