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Rancho Margot, innovator and educator in sustainable community development, permaculture and self-sufficiency, is pleased to announce the Social Responsibility Fund. Juan Sostheim, owner and founder of Rancho Margot, developed the Social Responsibility Fund in an effort to transfer up to 300-acres of Rancho Margot’s rainforest lands to the Children’s Eternal Rainforest of Costa Rica for permanent preservation and protection.
In order to liberate these lands and to legally transfer title to the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, Rancho Margot is reaching out to guests, environmental supporters and university programs who wish to visit Rancho Margot, to ‘pay it forward’ in a unique financing approach that combines social responsibility with smart vacation planning.
Every dollar paid into the Social Responsibility Fund will liberate one square foot of Rancho Margot property, in the contributor’s name, to the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, and that same dollar value will also hold its value for 20 years on account with Rancho Margot for future vacations or educational trips to be made by the contributor. Further, ten percent (10%) of the total contribution will directly benefit the Children's Eternal Rainforest by our direct donation to the Children's Eternal Rainforest Endowment Fund which will assist in securing and stabilizing preservation processes. The Social Responsibility Fund ensures not only that critical land will be protected and preserved as soon as possible, but also that those who participate in this paramount endeavor are invited to visit, witness and enjoy what their contributions accomplish for generations to come.
In recent months a jaguar has been discovered to be killing livestock on the Rancho Margot property as well as nearby farms in an area that spans over 40-square-kilometers. Night photos of the endangered jaguar reveal a beautiful animal that requires protection and safety. For nine years Rancho Margot and forest rangers of the Children's Eternal Rainforest have dealt, almost daily, with illegal hunters and land clearing for pastures on lands originally meant to be purchased by the government of Costa Rica. Title problems then and lack of government funds for land purchases today have left pockets of private property amidst otherwise protected lands. By establishing the Social Responsibility Fund, Rancho Margot is laying the cornerstone for a protected biological corridor and forming the foundation for what may become a financing model for socially responsible community development for others to follow.
The appearance of the endangered jaguar, in the high reaches of Rancho Margot, was the wake up call that lead to this decision by Rancho Margot founder, Juan Sostheim. “I realized that my plan of building another mountaintop luxury eco development would only contribute to the problems we are facing. The reforestation work we have done has exceeded my wildest dreams in terms of the resurgence of a healthy, diverse eco-system. This jaguar made me realize that this land has become a part of me and I have been lucky to see it regenerate as it has,” says Sostheim after nine years in the area. “This transition zone is of critical importance to the environmental and cultural health of this region and the world. No less than two percent (2%) of the worlds known biodiversity on land is at home in these rain and cloud forest reserves and the protection of the Arenal-Monteverde Biological Corridor would greatly enhance the chances of this ecosystem’s survival for future generations.”
Situated in the Arenal region of Costa Rica and forming a bridge between rain and cloud forests, Rancho Margot consists of 400-acres that, at present, is recognized as a leading sustainable eco-resort destination focused on growing food and education. Rancho Margot is also host to a yoga retreat center, organic gardens, hiking trails, adventure tours and a number of other sustainable and self-sufficient operations that are to serve as business incubators for a growing and sustainable community in the future.
About Rancho Margot
Rancho Margot (ranchomargot.com) is a family enterprise. With a growing number of residents, a staff of approximately 30 people, 8 to 12 rotating volunteers and 10,000 annual visitors, Rancho Margot is a dynamic place located in a lush lakeside valley between rain and cloud forests on a United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Biosphere of Water and Peace. In addition to providing a peaceful place that facilitates a close connection with nature, Rancho Margot strives to inspire each visitor to explore new ways in which they can incorporate the concept of sustainability into their own lives.
About The Children’s Eternal Rain Forest Reserve (El Bosque Eterno de los Niños)
The Children’s Eternal Rainforest is the largest private land trust in Costa Rica and is managed by the Monteverde Conservation League (MCL), an independent, non-profit association dedicated to the conservation, preservation and rehabilitation of tropical ecosystems and their biodiversity. The Children’s Eternal Rainforest straddles the Continental Divide, encompassing 55,600 acres (22,500 ha) of virgin and secondary forest, as well as several areas of reforestation. It’s northern border is located less than two kilometers from Rancho Margot which in turn abuts against the Arenal Volcano National Park.
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