The year 2005 marked the third full year of activity for the Monteverde Conservation League U.S., Inc. (MCLUS) since its establishment in April, 2002 with its mission “to support the conservation, preservation and rehabilitation of tropical ecosystems and their biodiversity.” MCLUS officers and board members have been carrying out its mission by volunteering time and efforts to present informational programs and ecotourism activities, to carry out fundraising efforts and to provide labor, advice, equipment and funds for activities in Costa Rica and Belize. MCLUS is closely allied with the Monteverde Conservation League (MCL) in Monteverde, Costa Rica. MCL owns and manages El Bosque Eterno de los Niños (BEN), a 54,000+ acre nature preserve – the largest private reserve in Central America.

Land Purchase and Protection Campaign (LPPC). In April 2004 MCLUS began, with the approval of MCL, a new fundraising effort - the Land Purchase and Protection 20th Anniversary Campaign - to raise $1.5 million dollars by December 31, 2007 in celebration of the beginning of the BEN in 1987. The money raised by the LPPC will

• help create wildlife migratory corridors from the BEN to existing patches of remaining forests down the mountain slopes,
• buy land along the BEN’s borders that will seal off the gateways used by poachers,
• buy “in-holding lands” – properties which are completely surrounded by BEN,
• support MCL’s annual expenses for BEN’s protection and reforestation activities and for environmental education for the BEN’s surrounding communities, and
• create a Board-directed quasi-Endowment for future Protection and Operational expenses

At its April 26, 2005 Annual Meeting the MCLUS approved all its BEN fundraising to be apportioned 50% for Land Purchase expenses, 40% for annual Protection and Operational expenses and 10% to be placed into a Board-directed quasi-Endowment for future Protection and Operational expenses. This action was retroactive to January 1, 2005 with donations for unrestricted or Annual Appeal being incorporated into LPPC on July 1, 2005.

LPPC includes an annual competition among schools to contribute money by April 22, celebrated as Earth Day in the United States. A total of $14,243.03 was donated from 35 schools in 16 different states. The three winning schools (given further below with the amount of their donations) each selected a student ambassador who went for a weeklong trip to Monteverde and the BEN free in August. Their dads and teachers traveled there also, at their own expense. It was glorious! Check the website for details on the three elementary school girls who were the student ambassadors:

• Principia Lower School, St Louis, Missouri, $3644

• Hockinson Intermediate, Brush Prairie, Washington, $1763

• Little Red School House, Greenwich Village, NY. $1113

In August MCLUS received a $20,000 gift that permitted establishing $1 match for every $2 received for all LPPC donations (up to $40,000) during 2005. 292 other donors donated in excess of $58,000 throughout the year, with over $36,000 being received after November 15 — insuring that the matching was met and exceeded! Online donations to MCLUS increased fourfold through Network for Good.

The LPPC CD PowerPoint presentation about the BEN has been sent to more than 80 individuals, schools or organizations to aid them in spreading the word about the needs of the BEN and MCLUS’ efforts.

MCLUS sent $50,175 to MCL in Costa Rica in 2005 in order that MCL could begin negotiating for land contiguous to the BEN. A tourism developer was interested in the same parcel and was willing to pay more than MCL and MCLUS can afford. But the landowner was willing to bargain with MCL as he preferred to have the forest under the BEN’s protection. (A successful purchase agreement was achieved on January 16, 2006 for 102.5 hectares with a $47,000 down payment and with two subsequent annual payments of $32,000.)

With the approval of the students who have attended the Tropical Ecology classes of the University of California system in Monteverde, MCLUS has incorporated into LPPC the funds received from those students’ Creating Corridors fundraising effort.

As allocated as part of 2005 LPPC donations, MCLUS has also supported the Protection and Operation activities of MCL through donations over $24,000 in money, laptop computers, camera and miscellaneous equipment and supplies.

In August a $10,000 Certificate of Deposit was purchased as the initial investment for the MCLUS Board-directed quasi-Endowment for future Protection and Operational expenses.

In September MCLUS received from an American citizen the donation of a little over 59 hectares of land on Costa Rica’s Nicoya peninsula. The land may have a value exceeding $145,000. MCLUS anticipates eventually donating the land to MCL for its own use or disposal.

Other Donations and Assistances to MCL. Through other non-LPPC sources MCLUS was able to donate $3,600 for improvements to San Gerardo and Bajo del Tigre facilities, $2,400 for drainage pipe and other expenses at the San Miguel/Rotary Road improvement at Poco Sol, and $15,000 for reducing the principal of a MCL bank loan in Costa Rica and for aiding in the purchase of a newer vehicle by MCL.

MCLUS helped to facilitate a loan of $50,000 to MCL at a better interest rate here in the U.S. than MCL was getting for the same loan at Banco Nacional in Costa Rica, saving MCL substantial money.

Rotary Grant for San Miguel Community/Poco Sol. Dwight Crandell through his Rotary Club in St. Louis, MO obtained a Matching Grant from Rotary International to improve seven (7) kilometers of primitive road on the eastern slopes of the Tilaran Mountains which is used by the San Miguel community and leads up to MCL’s Poco Sol Biological Field Station. The road has previously been beset by poor drainage design which meant, during the heavy rains in the latter half of each year, the road was often impassable and even completely washed out in two or three places in the latter half of 2004. A total of $4,500 was approved in April; the drainage and road improvements were made in May and June of 2005; Dwight was there for part of the project which was coordinated by Crisley Cespedes of MCL.

National Association of Biology Teachers Exhibit. As it did last year, MCLUS had an exhibit booth at the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) Annual Convention in Milwaukee, WI October 5-8 in order to promote the LPPC as well as to encourage teachers and their classes to schedule visits to the BEN and to stay at its biological field stations.

Rachel Crandell’s talks, book sales and eco-tours. In order to gain funds specifically for environmental education, scholarships and specific equipment needs for the MCL, Rachel continues to be very active in giving talks and organizing eco-tours to the BEN. She has given 11 illustrated presentations to school classes, writer workshops and other groups, including two talks to students at St. Michael’s Independent School in Stuart, FL which proposes a long-term partnership with the BEN for field trips as well as fundraising.

Each year Rachel organizes and leads eco-tours focused on tropical conservation to Monteverde and Costa Rica. The fees paid by students and adults include contributions to the LPPC. In 2005 there were two such tours – one in May for Fox River Country Day School 7th and 8th graders and one in June for 18 individuals. Additionally, Rachel was the leader for the trip in August for the student ambassadors. As of December 15, MCLUS had received reservations for 14 persons for its June 19-July 2, 2006 trip with a second trip (July 30- August 12, 2006) receiving strong interest.

Rachel’s children’s book Hands of the Maya has had successful sales with many copies sold directly by MCLUS with those profits directed for scholarships for Maya high school students in Belize. Rachel has also contributed her royalties for that scholarship effort to help sustain those indigenous people’s efforts to conserve and preserve their local ecosystems and way of life. In 2005, these funds have provided $3,000 in scholarships to students of Maya Centre Village in central Belize.

Other projects and actions. In 2005 MCLUS coordinated donations of cash towards paying for two Emberá men from Panama’s Darien to receive training in 2006 as naturalists/guides. MCLUS completed coordinating a high school scholarship from The Principia for Lidieth Fuentes of San Luis who graduated from the Colegio in Santa Elena in December. Students from Principia also gave a graduation gift of a laptop computer to Lidieth as she prepares to attend university in Costa Rica.

MCLUS’ website, www.mclus.org, was revised in December, making the site more user friendly and more informative. In conjunction with those changes, MCLUS has begun to provide more timely progress reports via e-newsletters.

Summary. The MCLUS officers and Board of Directors are pleased with our continuing progress and can foresee growing benefits to the BEN and every other activity which MCLUS supports. We have deep and constant gratitude for the faithful and willing support of so many who have responded to our requests.

Treasurer’s Report for FY2005 - Available on request to: info@mclus.org