A Day at KSTR’s Kids Camp

September 14th, 2010 by Blogmaster | No Comments | Filed in Kids Saving the Rainforest, Volunteer Opportunities

Are you visiting Costa Rica with your family and want to provide your kids with a unique educational experience? Check out Kids Saving the Rainforest’s Kids Camp held every Saturday at the Hotel Mono Azul, KSTR’s headquarters in Manuel Antonio. We host anywhere from 8-15 kids (locals, expats, and visitors) each week at our camp where the goal is to empower the future generation and help kids realize that they too can make a difference in the world today. Our kids learn the importance of the environment and what they can do to help protect the local rainforest and its inhabitants. We begin with a little bit about the history of KSTR and our efforts, followed by a different lesson plan each week presented by our camp leaders–for example, endangered species, renew, reuse, recycle (the 3 R’s), or what happens to a plastic bottle when it’s not recycled but tossed into the rainforest or ocean. Occasional field trips give our kids the opportunity to work hands on to help educate the public and save the planet. They may distribute our “11 Reasons Not to Feed the Monkeys” pamphlets to visitors at the National Park or learn about sustainable farming by planting fruits and vegetables at the nearby Blue Banyan Inn. During our arts and crafts time, the kids paint rocks, design bookmarks, and/or make bracelets and earrings, which are all sold in the KSTR store, where 100% of the proceeds are donated to help save the rainforest.

Camp is from 9-12am every Saturday, and any child age 5 to 18 can attend. A minimal charge of 2500 colones ($5) for a day at camp includes snack and transportation, and all money goes to further KSTR’s goals.

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Kids Saving the Rainforest’s New Volunteer Program at BBI

September 14th, 2010 by Blogmaster | 3 Comments | Filed in Kids Saving the Rainforest, Volunteer Opportunities

Kids Saving the Rainforest has an exciting and unique new program for volunteers, offering:

  • Wildlife caretaking
  • Sustainable farming
  • Accommodations at Blue Banyan Inn – rated #1 by Trip Advisor
  • Rainforest Educational Center (Creating and building)
  • Wildlife rehab
  • Zoo (local and exotic wildlife)
  • Spanish Lessons

What is included:

  • 3 meals a day (7 AM – 7:30 AM  Breakfast; 12 Noon – 12:30 Lunch; At your leisure – Dinner)
  • Free wireless internet
  • 1 load of laundry per week
  • 8 hour/day, 5 day/week work week (so you can travel)
  • Luxurious accommodations which include: Queen-sized beds, beautiful bathrooms made from river rock with hot water showers, patios, mountain views, gorgeous swimming pool, microwave, refrigerator, and coffee maker (Click for pictures.)

Here are the areas that we need volunteers for:

  • Wildlife care
  • Organic gardening
  • Building animal enclosures
  • Alternative Energy, including solar
  • Livestock, including chickens and goats
  • Tilapia farming
  • Trail making in rainforest and around river
  • Medicinal plants
  • Cooking
  • Botanical Garden
  • Horticulture and Nurseries
  • Developing Rainforest Educational Center
  • Making natural soap, laundry detergent, cleaning products, bug repellent, and candles
  • Wood working
  • Construction using natural materials
  • Teaching coexistence with nature

Rates may be flexible based on expertise:

  • 1 week –   $ 600  Single occupancy – $ 400 per person Double occ –  $300 triple or quad  per person
  • 2 weeks – $1150  Single occupancy – $ 750 per person Double occ –  $550 triple or quad  per person
  • 3 weeks – $1650  Single occupancy – $1050 per person Double occ – $750 triple or quad  per person
  • 4 weeks – $2000  Single occupancy – $1400 per person Double occ – $980 triple or quad  per person

Please email us with any questions you may have. We look forward to hearing from you.

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Tour KSTR’s Wildlife Sanctuary!

September 14th, 2010 by Blogmaster | No Comments | Filed in Kids Saving the Rainforest

Pia, KSTR's vet, attending to Sammy, one of the rescue sloths.

My name is Trevor and I was a volunteer animal rehabilitator who worked with KSTR’s veterinarian, Pia, performing rescue, rehab and release techniques for the many sick, abandoned or injured animals that come into the KSTR clinic everyday. To give you a little glimpse into the kind of work KSTR does, KSTR now has a special tour! I know what you’re thinking, “Oh, great, another tour in Quepos/Manuel Antonio….” Well, I’m here to tell you that this tour is a little different than the average tour you might find in the area.

The new KSTR tour is three years in the making, thanks in part to our very generous donors and volunteers. It offers visitors a chance to get a behind the scenes look at how their money is helping save injured animals with a glimpse into the work performed at the clinic (via a slide show) and a chance to see the new KSTR animal sanctuary, organic garden, and organic farm located at the Blue Banyan Inn. 100% of the proceeds of this tour go to funding projects like our rehab clinic, our sanctuary, and monkey bridge projects. You too can become a donor or guardian of the rainforest.

The tour itself consists of a presentation at the Hotel Mono Azul, where the KSTR headquarters is located. During this presentation we will take you behind the scenes of the rehab clinic, highlighting the animals we currently have at the clinic and how we are helping to rehabilitate them. We will also discuss other projects that KSTR has going on that help save the rainforest. After this presentation, if you choose, you can make a piece of jewelry, a postcard, or bookmark that we will then sell in the KSTR store, from which all proceeds go to protecting the rainforest. Then it’s off to the sanctuary! It is just a 20 minute drive from the Hotel Mono Azul to the beautiful property of the Blue Banyan Inn. Once at the sanctuary you will come face to face with over 20 animals who cannot be released into the wild and call the sanctuary home. After the sanctuary we stroll through the organic garden and farm where you can pick or cut your own fresh limes, sugar cane, or pineapple.

If you are still thinking to yourself, “How is this tour different?” let me sum it up for you…this tour does not make a profit! All of the proceeds of this tour go right back into KSTR’s Wildlife Sanctuary Project.  You’re sure to learn something new and have a good time doing it!

Tour Time: 2 PM to 5 PM. Private tour times can be arranged.

Prices: $35 for adults and $25 for children (open to all ages). For $10 more, dinner and swimming are included at the Hotel Mono Azul.

To book: Contact KSTR at 2777-2592 end_of_the_skype_highlightin or email us.

Pia, KSTR’s vet, attending to Sammy, a rescue sloth.

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The Ancient Art of Labyrinth Walking

September 13th, 2010 by Blogmaster | No Comments | Filed in Kids Saving the Rainforest, Volunteer Opportunities

With the help of our volunteers from Kids Saving the Rainforest and our staff, The Blue Banyan Inn has constructed a labyrinth entirely out of coral and mother of pearl shells collected from the local beaches.

Labyrinths combine the imagery of a circle and spiral to create a meandering yet purposeful path. It has only one way in and one way out. Labyrinth walking is often thought of as a symbolic form of pilgrimage, where people can take the path, ascending toward salvation, enlightenment, or wholeness.

We invite you to walk the spiritual path.

Prepare to walk. Think of your time in the labyrinth as a walking meditation. Before you enter, take some time to reflect on your everyday life. Set an intention for the experience you’re about to have—it could be a question, an affirmation, a goal, or a wish that you focus on while you walk. You may even like to take off your shoes, a traditional sign of respect fora sacred space.

  1. Begin your journey. Take a deep, cleansing breath and focus your attention as you enter the labyrinth. You may recite your intention aloud or silently to yourself.
  2. Walk the inward path. Walk at a comfortable pace on your way in, focusing on letting go of everyday thoughts and feelings that you may want to leave behind so that you can fully embrace your spiritual journey. When you need to, pause and be present with each step of the inward path.
  3. Spend time in the center. You may wish to stand, sit, kneel, or lie down when reaching the center. Be present in this space with your inmost self and be open to the stillness within. You may choose to reiterate your intentions, pray, or just be.
  4. Walk the return path. When you feel ready to leave the center, walk back the same way from which you came. Focus on what you will bring out from the center and back into your life. Again, pause if you need to and try not to rush out of the labyrinth as this return part of the journey is just as important as the others.
  5. Reflect on the journey. Before leaving the labyrinth, take some time to reflect on any insights you’ve gained, new feelings you may have, or thoughts that may have come up that you’d like to explore further later.

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Mangos for the Monkeys

September 13th, 2010 by Blogmaster | No Comments | Filed in Kids Saving the Rainforest, Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer Profile: Juan Carlos Monge Gogni, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

The day after the big storm in June that left Manuel Antonio without power or running water for 4 days, Juan Carlos Monge Gogni made his way down one of the steep, unpaved roads to the beach. There were broken trees everywhere and the road looked empty, he recalled, until he spotted one lone monkey sitting in a tree staring straight at him.

“He was making some noises and looked so sad like he was trying to tell me something,” Juan Carlos said. “He was fixated on me and I was fixated on him. His face was of something in distress, and I understood he needed help. It was like we were having a conversation.”

It was this event that led Juan Carlos to research how he could help save the monkeys. He began to plant mango trees that he had grown from seed in his backyard in the same area where he had his encounter with the monkey. Mangos are a popular food for monkey species living in the area.

Soon after, Juan Carlos reached out to KSTR and began volunteering at Blue Banyan Inn, helping care for the monkeys in the sanctuary and putting his horticulture skills to further use, planting vegetable and fruit trees. The food will serve to feed not only the guests at the inn but also the monkeys housed at the sanctuary, and will further the inn’s goal of being a fully sustainable community.

Juan Carlos has also recruited two local teenaged boys to help work at the inn one day a week, building a labyrinth and tending to the nursery.

“I want to help the kids,” Juan Carlos said. “I want to educate them to respect their environment. Some kids can be so cruel. They don’t see the beauty and they don’t know how lucky they are. For them an ocean view, or a monkey, or a mango is an everyday thing.”

Johan Montero Erhas, one of the volunteers working with Juan Carlos, said his experience has been a good one and that he will definitely tell his friends about it to try to get them involved. ”I was very excited to get to work directly with the monkeys,” he said. This was his first time seeing a monkey up close.

The idea of volunteering is not a natural concept in Costa Rica, Juan Carlos explained, but the boys are showing interest in helping and have started asking questions about nature.

“Their first reaction when they found a bee or some insect was to kill it,” he said. “But it’s nature, you don’t need to kill it, I explained. The other day we were in the house and one of them tried to kill an insect and the other asked why kill it. They both looked at me like they were proud because they didn’t kill it.”

In the future, Juan Carlos hopes to open art school for children in the area that incorporates volunteer activities with KSTR. “I want to try to make the kids understand the importance of the animals,” he said.

Look for more information about volunteer opportunities with KSTR on our website.

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Help Save the Rainforest and Take Home Souvenirs

September 13th, 2010 by Blogmaster | No Comments | Filed in Kids Saving the Rainforest, Volunteer Opportunities

Looking for the perfect souvenir for yourself or your friends and family back home? Make sure you stop into the Kids Saving the Rainforest (KSTR) Souvenir Shop, where 100% of the proceeds are donated to help save the rainforest.

The initial idea for the shop came in 1999 when two 9 year old girls living in Manuel Antonio wanted to help save the surrounding rainforest. The duo painted rocks and made postcards, which they sold to raise money for their cause. The KSTR organization grew from their efforts, and eleven years later, KSTR volunteers still paint rocks and make postcards and bookmarks to sell in the store.

We’ve expanded our main store located in Mono Azul Hotel on the road to the beach and have a second location open for business now in the Blue Banyan Inn just outside of Quepos. Inside our stores you’ll find unique souvenirs to help you remember your experience in Costa Rica. Wooden sculptures, paintings, and crafts constructed from indigenous materials, such as bamboo, coconut shells, and coral, are all made by local artisans. Some are signed and dated, and no two pieces are the same. Elaborate jewelry designed with shells, bamboo, and stones make great gifts. And of course there is a variety of clothing and toys for the kids.

Best of all you can feel good about your purchases. Absolutely 100% of the money from sales in the shops goes to help fund KSTR projects: maintenance of KSTR’s animal rescue and rehabilitation clinic; construction of monkey bridges so that the animals have safe passage high above the roads; reforestation of natural monkey habitation; and education of local children and other visitors about their natural surroundings.

Visit KSTR for more info on our mission, volunteering opportunities, or directions to our stores.  To see our day to day activities, join our Kids Saving The Rainforest Facebook Group.

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Bringing Breakfast to the Monkeys

August 12th, 2010 by Blogmaster | No Comments | Filed in Volunteer Opportunities

Welcome to our new blog! Make sure to check back often, and if there’s anything you’d like to see or hear more about—like our cute little monkey friends—feel free to drop us a note.

We’re in the fortunate position of being able to offer our guests a truly unique experience at each of our locations: Mono Azul Hotel, in Manuel Antonio, and Blue Banyan Inn, in nearby Quepos. Both hotels have a special relationship with Kids Saving the Rainforest (KSTR), a non-profit organization founded in Manuel Antonio in 1999. KSTR efforts go toward saving the endangered Titi monkey and reforesting the surrounding areas. The kids sell crafts, plant trees, and maintain monkey bridges by donation to raise money to keep their 4 acres of monkey habitat and rehabilitation center up and running. KSTR also has its own souvenir shop, with 100% of the proceeds going to save the rainforest.

During your stay at Blue Banyan Inn, you’ll have the opportunity to volunteer at our animal sanctuary, which is located right on the grounds and maintained by KSTR. Imagine bringing breakfast to the monkeys every morning and helping to raise newborn monkeys that are in much need of some tender loving care. In our nursery and botanical gardens, you can learn more about farming, horticulture, and sustainable living, and assist in the construction of trails and labyrinths. Blue Banyan is set on a secluded 65 acres of land, with lush green grounds, mountainous views, a sculpted pool, and a restaurant and bar.

Mono Azul Hotel is just minutes away from the beach and has a laid back, fun atmosphere for your family and friends. The hotel has a full-service restaurant, which serves a large selection of great food at reasonable prices. You can sit back and relax poolside, get lost in one of the library’s 2,500 books, or take advantage of the free wireless in the restaurant lounge. Mono Azul is also the ideal place for groups looking to learn more about the rainforest and to make a real difference. Guests can choose to participate in KSTR’s 3-hour tour, which includes an introduction to the surrounding environments and its inhabitants by KSTR’s on-staff veterinarian or wildlife rehabilitation expert. Afterward, you will head out to Blue Banyan Inn’s animal sanctuary to see the monkeys and cut your own fresh limes, sugar cane, or pineapple! Volunteer are also welcome to help design jewelry, postcards, and bookmarks that will be sold in the KSTR shop.

In case that wasn’t enough incentive to donate a bit of your time, check out the photos of our baby marmoset monkeys having some fun. And come visit soon… the monkeys are waiting for you!

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