GREEN EARTH GARDENS®
Introduction
The tropical rainforest is more than trees: There are millions of interactions among species of all types and sizes: Did you know that tiny bees are responsible for carrying out the pollination of numerous plants, including many of the largest trees? Without their ceaseless work, those trees would be unable to reproduce and the forest would disappear.
Based on this, Green Earth Gardens is carrying out a conservation initiative that pays attention not only to the recovery of forest through reforestation, but also to the preservation of stingless bees that will guarantee the trees’ future reproductive success and the sustainability of the entire ecosystem. Green Earth Gardens also promotes the sustainable, non-damaging use of forests resources. Our most successful example is the harvesting of organic rain forest honey from those same stingless bees.
About Green Earth Gardens
Green Earth Gardens is a private initiative promoting reforestation, tropical apiculture, education, and cultural and environmental awareness. We are based near the small town of Vasconia, Aguas Zarcas in the northern plains of San Carlos, Costa Rica. Green Earth Gardens is a 150-acre nature reserve and theme park for Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS), a gas responsible for climate change and global warming.
Years ago, this region was deforested and used for the production of cultivated timber for commercial purposes and for extensive agriculture. Deforestation of native habitats, along with the expansion of agriculture increases pollution, threatens biological diversity, and contributes to global warming.
Understanding the problem is a first step to finding sound, innovative solutions. Green Earth Gardens has decided to act now by providing sustainable alternatives, and invites you to join us and be part of them. Our reserve provides the setting for an innovative reforestation model aiming at Carbon Capture & Storage and biodiversity conservation. Green Earth Gardens is also a life size laboratory for sustainable uses, beginning with organic honey harvesting from stingless bees. The reserve also provides rain forest habitat for numerous plants and animals, and protects several creeks and underground aquifers as well.
Carbon Capture & Storage
Through photosynthesis, the green parts of the plants use energy from sunlight to convert carbon dioxide (CO2), water and minerals into food, releasing oxygen as a by-product. This process has taken place daily for millions of years, transforming the planet’s atmosphere -originally richer in carbon dioxide- into its current composition, with higher levels of oxygen. During the XX century industrialization, deforestation and expansion of agriculture have liberated millions of tones of CO2 back into the atmosphere, increasing the risks of climate change and global warming.
Tropical forests have a great capacity to capture CO2 and convert it to oxygen. Available lands within Green Earth Garden’s® reserve provide us with the opportunity to use reforestation in order to Carbon Capture & Storage and mitigate global warming.
Reforestation is a concrete action at the local level, with positive global repercutions, thus representing hope for the future. It contributes to mitigate current emissions of greenhouse gases, raises public awareness about climate change issues and provides an opportunity for the participation of local communities, corporations, organizations, and individuals. In this initiative, Green Earth Gardens® works in close collaboration with strategic partners, including the San Carlos Development Corporation (CODEFORSA), EARTH University and the National Fund for Forestry Financing (FONAFIFO).
Biodiversity conservation
Green Earth Gardens® a Private Natural Reserve is part of the Maquenque Biological Wildlife Corridor, which aims to connecting ecosystems isolated from each other because of deforestation and destruction of natural habitat. Properties like ours play an important ecological role through joining these otherwise isolated natural spaces, allowing the movement of flora a fauna.
Our reserve’s secondary forests provide habitat for numerous species, including several valuable Costa Rican species such as the great green macaw, the white face monkey, white tail deer and the agouti. It is also home to about 70% of the country’s stingless bee species, thus its potential for organic honey production. Through reforestation activities, Green Earth Gardens® is contributing to recover northern Costa Rica’s rich tropical rain forests, which provide a home to thousands of species of plants, animals and microorganisms.
Organic honey production
Stingless bees are native to the Neotropics, which differ from their European counterpart because of their lack of a sting and their tamer behavior. They play an important ecological role in the tropical forest through pollination of many plants and trees, allowing the production of fruits and seeds, and the survival of many plant species.
The Mesoamerican indigenous civilizations practiced stingless beekeeping -known today as Meliponiculture- as an important economic activity. They kept the bees in hollow log-hives, and harvested honey for gastronomic and medicinal uses. In fact, they considered these bees as a gift from the gods. Based on this ancient tradition, with the purpose of producing organic rainforest honey, Green Earth Gardens® has created a native stingless bee garden -or meliponario- using sustainable management techniques. The mariola bee (Tetragonisca angustula) is recognized as one of the most attractive species because of the quality of its honey, its medicinal and antibiotic uses and it commercial potential.
Green Earth Gardens® has partnered with Costa Rica’s Tropical Apiculture Center, from the Universidad Nacional (UNA), which carries out scientific research about stingless bees and their honey, with potential to become the “antibiotic of the future”.
Visits can be organized to meet the size, needs and expectations of each group. Please, coordinate with our offices in San José.
