Today we departed from our hotel in Monteverde, however, before we left we visited the cloud forest reserve. This reserve has secondary and primary forests full of beautiful wildlife and greenery. The locals we met while there, like the Quaker Don Ricardo and the Tico farmer Don Guillermo, played a large role in the protection of this reserve. Costa Rica, with its natural beauty and ideal travel locations, is often called “Gringolandia” due to the amount of tourists from North America and Europe visit here. This ecotourism has brought with it foreign investment to Monteverde. This interest from foreign investors and tourists has helped Costa Rica, especially in Monteverde, shift to ecotourism.

The work of the local Ticos and Quakers who arrived from Alabama in 1951 and their descendants permanently changed Monteverde in both good and bad ways. When the quakers first arrived, they began to clear-cut forests to make space for farms, buildings, and factories and hunt local animals for food or defense. These Quakers were actually the first to introduce the chain saw to Costa Rica and this had a huge impact on the forests that were untouched at this time. Local coffee farms in Monteverde began appearing as Monteverde became more settled by humans. As local Ticos began building these farms, they introduced foreign species of trees, cut local old-growth forests, and use fertilizers that would leech chemicals into the soil. While these effects negatively effected the ecological health of Monteverde, it helped to expand and monetize the area. Soon after developing this area, ecologists began to take notice of the endemic and vast amount of wildlife that was becoming threatened by the presence of human activity. With the encouragement of wildlife enthusiasts, these same Quakers and Tico coffee farmers helped create preservations and biological reserves. Without the help from the same people that initially damaged Monteverde, the cloud forests we visited today may not even be there today. Today, these people are trying to find ways to live sustainably and combat the changing climate around them.

The impact of tourism and foreign investment on the area has not been unnoticeable. In fact, it is the driving fuel for Monteverde’s economy. With a Mexican company buying the cheese factory in Monteverde and a Chinese factory developing a large hotel, the impact of these cash flows could be easily observed. The influence of foreigners on Costa Rica and Monteverde, especially since its economy depends largely on ecotourism, has been a positive one. It has helped drastically increased the conservation efforts and has led to the development of sustainable methods to cope with the large influx of tourists. Looking at the work of the Quakers and Life Monteverde, the presence of tourists has benefitted them as well. Both the Quakers and Life Monteverde rely on a steady stream of tourism to keep their business and message in Monteverde alive. Without ecotourism, both of these places would struggle to continue to stay afloat in Monteverde. Tourism fuels the economy, especially in Monteverde, and this tourism is how the beauty of Costa Rica will be preserved. Tourists earned the country the name Gringolandia, but without tourists being here, Gringolandia could be without some of the beautiful places it has to offer today.