RAINFOREST SCHOOL OPENS IN COSTA RICA THANKS TO GERMAN TRAVEL OPERATOR

German tour operator Travel-To-Nature has opened La Tigra Rainforest School in Costa Rica.

Founded in 1997 by Rainer Stoll, Travel-to-Nature is a small tour operator based in Southwest Germany with sustainability, socially responsible travel and nature at the heart of its business concept.

Since it was established 25 years ago, the travel operator has become one of the leading providers of nature tours to Costa Rica, Latin America and selected destinations worldwide. One of the strengths of Travel-to-Nature lies in its unique travel programmes that focus on respecting nature and social environment. Its unusual journeys have even been received travel industry honours such as the Golden Palm Award from the GEO Season magazine.

The initiative was also nominated for the German Sustainability Award 2022 earlier this month.

When 4 hectares became a rainforest

Travel-to-nature opened La Tigra Rainforest School in Costa Rica. The opening was a complete success with Rainer Stoll, CEO of Travel-to-Nature, declaring that it was “one of the most beautiful days in his life”.

The school complements la “Reserva Bosque La Tigra”, the flagship project of Travel-to-Nature. The story began in 2005 when Rainer Stoll bought a 4 hectare area in Costa Rica to plant native trees. It was expanded to 8.5 hectares in 2013 and now covers an area of over 40 hectares. The goal is to preserve a piece of natural rainforest in about 200 years.

Costa Rica travel-to-nature rainforest school
Children are learning about the preservation of the rainforest at Travel-to-Nature’s rainforest school (Photo: Travel-to-Nature)

Biodiversity has already increased in the area and many animals have returned to the site. It has become a corridor between the surrounding rainforests, providing new habitat for native species and making it possible for animals to move between forests without danger. In the midst of this natural setting, Stoll then opened La Tigra Rainforest lodge, where guests and visitors can experience the rainforest firsthand.

The lodge is completely powered by hydro-power and photovoltaic showcasing state-of-the-art sustainable technology.

The aim of the school is to educate Costa Rican children on the importance of the rainforest to their country. It is part of a large-scale rainforest project that Travel-to-Nature and Cerro de Oro S.A. are carrying out in cooperation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

A school for teaching children generations and travellers

German Ambassador Martina Nibbeling-Wriessnig was a guest of honour at the opening ceremony alongside high-ranking representatives of the GIZ and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development were also present. A video message from renowned science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar, the patron of the Rainforest School, highlighting the importance of the project for the future of the planet, was played during the opening ceremony.

For Rainer Stoll, the founder of Tavel-to-Nature, the school has fulfilled a lifelong dream and is a model for environmental protection and sustainable ecotourism around the world.

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