Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Instituto Conexiones Supports Tres Semillas Rainforest Center

Instituto Conexiones & Applied Research Center is working to support the work of Tamara Newton & Gerardo Saenz, founders of Tres Semillas Rainforest Center and adjoining Finca Tres Semillas Mountain Inn.

Gerardo has been living in the area where Tres Semillas is located for over 50 years. A local Costa Rican rainforest farmer, Gerardo holds much knowledge about the local plants, their medicinal uses, indigenous ways of farming the land, and the traditions and lore of the Costa Rican campesino and indigenous people of the Central Pacific region of Costa Rica.

Tamara was born to a Costa Rican father and an Italian-American mother in El Salvador. After migrating to the United States for a period of time, she returned to Central America and settled in the remote Division Valley of Costa Rica with her oldest son.

Tamara and Gerardo and their three children live almost completely off of the land. They have developed a model organic farm, mountain inn (B&B style) and operate a Rainforest Center & Tropical Organic Farm where visiting families and students can learn about the experience of the farming rainforest lifestyle and experience how to live almost completely self-sufficiently and sustainably off of tropical lands. They only recently got electricity and their first refrigerator.

Ancient Indigenous Artifacts & Petroglyphs Found at Tres Semillas & Surrounding Area, Costa Rica

The area known as El Brujo & El Llano de Rio Nuevo in the Perez Zeledon region of Costa Rica are littered with indigenous artifacts such as stone circles, arrowheads, metates, manos, and rocks with petroglyphs. Local lore says this was an important migration route. Tres Semillas Rainforest Center is located right in the middle of the areas mentioned above.

Tres Semillas Rainforest Center is showcasing the found items and is inviting anthropologists and archeological researchers from around the world to view the collection, conduct field work and present interpretations to Instituto Conexiones and other academic partners.

For more information:

info@connectionsinstitute.net

Tres Semillas Rainforest Center has opened its doors to students of all ages!




Families, students and student groups of all ages interested in campesino organic farming, indigenous lore, home-grown Costa Rican cuisine, tropical rainforests, endangered species, eco-tourism and sustainable animal husbandry should take note of the newest Rainforest Center to open its doors in a remote and lush hidden valley of Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica.

Tres Semillas Rainforest Center is located on the Southern border of the Los Santos Forest Reserve (150,000 acres of primary montane and premontane rainforest) and on the banks of the Division River - deep in the Costa Rican countryside.

But Tres Semillas is really so much more than a place to go to learn and explore - it is also a full service exclusive Mountain Inn and offers eco-tours to hidden tropical waterfalls, horse-back riding, and so much more! Visit Finca3Semillas.com

Volunteers & interns receive a special discount.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Organic farming methods will be presented at event in southwest Costa Rica


Published in A.M. Costa Rica staff

Finca Tres Semillas, a small, family-owned farm and mountain inn, is hosting an educational event to raise awareness on practical organic farming methods. The event begins at 10 a.m. Feb. 24. Neighboring farmers, tropical conservation leaders, eco-tourism operators, and the general public are all invited to attend.

In response to the growing pressures for farms to adopt more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices, the owners of Finca Tres Semillas began experimenting with organic farming methods six years ago. The farm has discovered successful ways to farm organically, manage waste appropriately, use alternatives to toxic agricultural and household cleaning products, and convert to more sustainable income strategies, said a press release.

The farmers understand the lack of alternatives and economic pressures that farmers face these days, and want to share their knowledge and experiences with those interested in growing food and living in harmony with the environment, said the release.

There will be recreational activities, prizes, demonstration workshops on composting, organic agriculture, proper waste management, as well as a roundtable discussion. Participants are welcome to share their ideas, hopes, frustrations and solutions about the topic of sustainable development and how it affects the life, culture and future of the Costa Rican farmer, said the release.

The event is also a fundraiser for El Brujo elementary school and its environmental education programs. Finca Tres Semillas is located in the Savegre Watershed between the communities of El Brujo and El Llano de Río Nuevo, Pérez Zeledón.

More information is available by contacting: contact@finca3semillas.com, info@connectionsinstitute.net, or on a Web site at www.Finca3Semillas.com